


Strength of the Sea

by Tibbykat2001



Series: Ocean Love Series [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Ace Lives, Badass Roronoa Zoro, Bisexual Vinsmoke Sanji, Bottom Vinsmoke Sanji, Corazon lives, Eventual Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji, Jealous Roronoa Zoro, King Ace, M/M, Mermaid Zoro, Mershark Zoro, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Vinsmoke Sanji, Protective Roronoa Zoro, Roronoa Zoro and Vinsmoke Sanji Bickering, Sanji Being An Asshole, Top Roronoa Zoro, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-06-28 08:52:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 39
Words: 52,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15703902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tibbykat2001/pseuds/Tibbykat2001
Summary: Mershark Zoro x Sanji AU*After time skip*When Sanji was young, he would spend his freetime on deck, staring at the sea. He would sit and daydream about All Blue, how the water would be crystal clear and the fish would be plentiful. Their colors vivid and elegant, the swirls of color beneath the waves incomprehensible to any man; but there was another reason he wanted to find All Blue...there were legands of beautiful women, with long hair and pale skin. The only thing separating them from us was the fish tail below their waist that glimmered like colorful diamonds under the waves. Fishermen and sailor alike started to call these hybrids...mermaids.Years later, when Sanji's crew accidentally captures one of these brilliant descendants of fish, Sanji is asked by the captain to get up close and personal with the creature; but there are a few problems:1.) The mermaid was a merMAN2.) It had an alcohol addiction paired with a seriously bad attitude.3.) And lastly, its' tail had the physical qualities of a freaking SHARK! Not beautiful at all!





	1. Mermaid On Board

The ship was in an uproar when Sanji stepped out of the galley, a tray of food for his Capitan in his hands. He watched with faint curiosity as a crewmate scurried by in a rush, his eyes glazed over in a dazed sort of look. The blond clicked his tongue at the ridiculous behavior, continuing on to the Captain's chambers. He knocked on the door lightly out or respect, catching a faint _'come_ _in'_ and turning the far-too-decorated brass knob. His boss, Greg Trent, nicknamed 'The Demon King' by the Marines, was comfortably seated at his desk; hunched over whatever his new project was. Maps were laid out all around him as he vigorously scribbled something down on a parchment in ink. His chestnut brown hair was speckled with grey, but he looked good for a man in his late forties; and he was not to underestimated as an elder pirate either, the man was a force to be reckoned with if necessary.

"Your food Captian." Sanji spared a slightly distainful glance around the mans cluttered work space, " what a shitfest, you'll die if you continue to work in these conditions dumbass." Sanji scolded, Greg looked up as the meal's mouth-watering scent wafted up his nostrils; a soft smile of gratitude gracing his aged face. He seemed to just ignore the blonde's quip, like the cheerful asshole usually did.

"Thank you Sanji. Ya always take care of this old bloke." Greg's hazel eyes creased in amusement before his lips thinned and his expression became hesitant. Sanji was instantly worried, wondering if there was anything wrong with the food he had prepared.

"Can I ask a favor Sanji?" The chef's muscles uncoiled and he scoffed.

"Of course, what do you need? I promise I'll help to the best of my ability." Greg nodded, looking more relaxed as he leaned back in his chair with a heavy sigh.

"We caught a mermaid in our net this morning." Sanji froze, his mouth dropping open in shock. Greg continued on before Sanji could recover from the sudden information.

"Everyone was in a frenzy as we started to haul it in. It was almost to the boat when another mermaid rushed over to help its buddy. It got its friend free, but tangled itself up in the process. Tyler noticed it handed something off to the other mermaid before being pulled up from the water. Its buddy had already taken off by the time the mermaid was on deck." Sanji's head was reeling, they had captured a real live mermaid!? He couldn't believe his ears, Sanji shook himself and swallowed hard. He'd read in books that Mermaids lived in All Blue and could lead a person straight to it.

"So...what do I have to do with this?" Sanji forced out and Greg chuckled.

"You're a chef and mermaids need to eat too." Sanji balked, blinking rapidly. His face flushing in embarrassment before he quickly concealed the slip-up by shooting Greg a heated glare.

"But I don't know what they eat, how do I...?" Sanji was at a loss, but Greg just shook his head at the poor, distraught chef.

"Why don't you ask it, it sure was talkative when we pulled it up. Was threatening the crew with cutting and stabbing." Sanji paused, his thoughts halting in place. A mermaid making death threats? A beautiful mermaid with flowing hair and delicate features swearing like a sailor? Sanji tried to picture it and failed.

Miserably.

"So?" Greg inquired tentievly, Sanji reared back, lost.

"Huh? 'So' what?" Greg chuckled but answered regardless.

"Will you be in charge of the mermaids care?" Sanji thought about it. He did; but they both already knew what the answer would be.

"You can count on me." Greg smiled and nodded, letting out a breath of relief.

"Good to hear Sanji. The tank is below deck, three doors to the right. You can't miss it, but...be careful. It's hostile." Greg warned, but Sanji was already in a blissful daydream about a mermaid falling head-over-heels with him to process the wary words.

He waved Greg off and seemed to float from the room, he figured he could go take a peek and maybe ask some questions before he had to prepare dinner. He shut the door softly behind himself and made his way below deck, counting to the third door. He hesitated as his hand grasped the knob, something Greg said faintly tugging at his hazy thoughts.

Shaking off his ridiculous nerves, he opened the door. The lights were on, illuminating a massive tank that could fit at least _two_ grown sharks comfortably. The room was completely empty otherwise; the blond walked in further, sucking in a sharp breath when he noticed the water was murky with stirred-up dirt, this mermaid obviously didn't want to be seen.

Sanji marched in, stuffing his hand in his pocket to fidget with his gold lighter. His fingers opening and closing the lid as he approached the tall wall of glass with curiosity. A ladder leading up to a platform had Sanji's insides jumping with joy, maybe he could coax it to the surface? He excitedly climbed onto the platform, kicking off his shoes.

His eyes scanned over the calm water, everything was still. Sanji briefly worried if it was injured...or worse, he knew his fellow crewmates could be barbarians. Sanji slowly leaned forward until he could see his own reflection and dipped a single finger into the slightly chilled liquid, causing a small ripple. He waited for a pregnant moment before running his fingers through the cool water. A bubble emerging from his reflection in the water a second later, distorting his face. He smiled, maybe it was coming to say hello?

What he didn't expect, was a massive form to lunge up at him and latch its arms around his waist, pulling him back into the water roughly. Sanji struggled against the mermaids hold, curling in on himself in order to press his bare feet against something solid, forcefully pushing himself away from the threat. Sanji turned just as a green tail disappeared into the merky depths, his lungs burned. He swam for the glimmering surface and his fingertips briefly slipped out of the water before something hard slammed into his side. He did a summer-sault as his air supply left his lungs, squeezing his mouth shut tightly as large, calloused hands wrapped around his throat. Sanji blinked despite the salty burn, willing his eyes to cooperate. What he saw made his blue orbs just about bug out of his head, it was no mermaid.

It was a merman emphasis on MAN.

The first thing Sanji noticed was the neon green hair floating around the merman's furious tan face like a halo. The next thing was the eyes, well...eye. One of its pools of gray had a harsh scar going from forehead to cheekbone, sealing its beauty closed forever. Sanji unexpectedly gasped in a lungful of water and choked, reaching up to grip muscled arms as his lungs seized and burned.

The faint shine of something gold caught his eye, there were three dangling earrings in the creatures left ear. As if under a spell, his hand lazily reached out to lightly brush over them. A soft chime ringing out before Sanji was violently propelled backward and slammed against the wall of the tank. He involuntarily sucked in more of the salty liquid. His eyes squeezing shut as he clenched his teeth, forcing himself not to fight back, he didn't want to hurt it when it was most likely frightened. He blinked through the agony of his aching chest and looked down at a long, powerful moss green shark tail that casually waved back and forth; it was connected to the man from the waist down, just like the legands said. Sanji's muscles began to spasm, and if he wasn't already dead, he could have sworn he felt the hands around his throat loosen. 

All of a sudden, a hand plunged into the water above them. It held a long black baton with a cord connecting it to something unseen, a high screeching sound erupting from the stick. The fingers around his neck pulled away all together to cover pointed human ears, the merman curled in on itself as its tail flailed. Another arm shot into the water from above to grip the back of the chef's shirt as the merman convulsed from pain, Sanji's groggy brain figured it had something to do with the baton in the water.

The chef was hauled from the tank, Sanji immediately coughing up all the water previously trapped in his lungs and stomach. Hands rolled him onto his side as he hacked and gasped, his coughing finally subsiding after a solid two minutes. His eyes throbbing when he forced them open, gingerly trying and failing to push himself up.

"What the hell happened Sanji!?" His gaze shifted up to the only person he could really ever stand other than thirteen-year-old Oscar Kenny and Greg, Tyler O'Brien. He was a few years older than Sanji, and was an ex-Marine; but Sanji, Oscar, and Greg trusted him all the same.

He opened his mouth to reply, but found he couldn't. Sanji eyes widened and he scrambled into a sitting position, catching his reflection. His neck was engulfed in a bruise the shape of two handprints, his horrified expression staring back at him. The rest of the crewmates who had rushed in to help had crowded around the shivering blond, one of them held the black stick that was connected to a large metal box with a headache-inducing load of switches.

"Wait Sanji-don't go back _in_ the water! The mermaid probably recovered-" Sanji lifted a trembling hand to his abused throat as Tyler gripped his shoulders, moving him away from the edge. As Sanji was helped to his feet, he caught a face under the shimmering surface. That predatory gray eye observing him silently, its lips pinched shut with the help of a smooth, chiseled jaw.

The blond pondered whether or not he had lost too many brain cells as he carefully clambered down the ladder, his knees buckling when he landed on solid wood floor. Thankfully, one of his crewmates caught him just as he tipped forward. The chef was distracted from all the commotion around him when he realized the merman was still watching him, head slightly tilted like he didn't understand something. Sanji had no hope to decipher the emotion it expressed before he was picked up by a typical fretting Tyler and taken to med bay.


	2. Feeding The Hungry

Sanji has had his neck wrapped for hours already, the fabric was itchy and made his bruises throb. He was advised not to speak for at least a few hours but had no other restrictions other than to take it easy. So when Tyler volunteered to handle the dishes from dinner, Sanji snuck out to go visit the Mershark again. He wasn't sure what compelled him to go on his next suicidal escapade, all he knew was that he just needed to see the amazing beast again.

He paused at the door, taking a painful breath. He pushed in once again, the tank still murky with sand. Sanji assumed the Mershark kept sweeping up the sand with its impressive tail. He approached the glass and softly knocked on it twice, warning the Mershark of his presence with the vibrations. He knew enough about sharks to make an educated guess on how its sensory system worked. With that done, Sanji nervously stepped up the ladder and onto the platform. Like yesterday, he pried off his dress shoes and leaned over to dip a single finger into the cloudy depths.

No response.

Sanji pulled his hand out to roll back his sleeves before flattening himself onto his stomach and pushing his arm back in up to his elbow, gracefully moving it in small circles. A ripple had Sanji's gaze sliding to the far side of the tank where a familiar green head of hair surfaced, that gray eye trained on the blond. Sanji used his free hand to give an encouraging little wave, the head dipping back under a millisecond later. Sanji stayed where he was, doing his own thing, as the head popped up again. This time, it was closer. Sanji wondered if it was gauging his reactions, or just trying to induce fear.

Sanji smiled and the head dunked down faster this time, a dorcil fin breaking the surface as the Mershark glided closer. A foot or so from his submerged hand, the Mershark popped up a final time, its tan neck showing now that it allowed more of itself to emerge from the water. It didn't attack, just opting to stare. Sanji was confused but immensely relieved at its suddenly docile behavior.

"Are you an idiot Blondie?" Sanji reared back, the Mershark spoke; insulting him no less. Sanji scowled and tried to reply, his sore throat protesting. So he grimaced and snapped his mouth shut with a click, the Mershark swam closer. It rested its arms on the edge of the dock and set its chin atop the tan limbs.

"If I hurt you that bad...why come back?" Sanji didn't really have an answer for that, not that he could anyway. The Mershark stared at Sanji for another second or two, scanning over the chef's body. Sanji shifted, inching toward the deadly creature leisurely resting upon the wood. He cleared his throat and cringed, but pressed on with his idiotic idea anyway.

"S-Sanji Vin-Vinsmoke." He gasped, rubbing his wrapped neck gingerly. The Mershark tilted its head.

"Sanji...Vinsmoke. You land-walkers sure have funny names." The Mershark quipped, curiosity sparking behind a wary gray eye.

"...Roronoa Zoro." Sanji grinned, so Roronoa was this Mershark's name?

"So, Vinsmoke. What's your rank?" Sanji blinked. Roronoa didn't say _Mr._ _Vinsmoke_ , so he must think Vinsmoke was his _first_ name. Which would make the Mershark's name _Zoro_ , not Roronoa.

"San-ji, not V-Vinsmoke." He corrected, his face pinching at a particularly harsh throb. Zoro shifted to the left, muttering something to himself that the blond didn't catch. The last of the blonde's tension seeped away as curiosity took its place, wondering why mermaids had their last names first. Sanji found it interesting and made a mental note of the fact to analyse later. Sanji noticed that Zoro was constantly moving, thinking that it may be yet another shark trait.

On a whim, the chef carefully crept forward to lay on his stomach, reaching out to flick his fingers at the water. His throat completely vulnerable to the Mershark. It was silent for a moment before Zoro swam up to his side, Sanji could slightly see the massive deep green tail before the foggy water obscured it from view.

"...Sorry." Sanji jumped, turning his head to look at Zoro, he was something else alright. Now that he had a closer view in a calmer environment, it looked like Zoro's tan skin had a barely noticeable green tint to it. His ears were pointed and he had four thin lines on either side of his throat, Sanji figured they were his gills. Zoro's upper body was a massive build, on second thought, his whole body looked strong and lethal. From the muscular tail to the top of his head, scars littered his body from previous battles and Sanji couldn't help but be mesmerized.

Zoro's shimmering gray eye peered right into the blonde's soul, the cat-like pupil dilating from the light above. One of Zoro's hands slowly came out of the water and Sanji's gaze ate up its appearance, one of five sharp fingernails pointed toward the chef's throat.

"For doing that. Sorry." He repeated and Sanji shrugged. He wasn't upset about it, but it was a bonus that he apologized. The door creaked open behind him and Zoro was propelling himself back into the murky depths with a splash, giving Sanji the rare view of a powerful shark tail before Zoro was gone. He stared at his own reflection for the few seconds it took Tyler to rush over, gripping the chef's ankle and dragging him away from the water's edge. At least Tyler knew better than to try and pull him completely off the platform, letting him go so he could climb down the ladder to stand in before his distressed friend.

"It tries to kill you and the first thing you do off-duty is pay the mermaid a friendly little visit?" Tyler raised a brow and Sanji chuckles sheepishly, the action making his throat hurt.

"M-Mer _shark_. It's m-male." Sanji coughs and Tyler snorts, his ears going pink in embarassment.

"It's not like I know the specific names for these creatures, okay? But on a better topic, what are _you_ doing here?" Sanji rolled his eyes, his gaze catching a glimpse of a face near the glass to his right. Zoro hand a hand pressed against the glass, calculating eye flickering from Sanji to Tyler. It's gaze always being drawn back to the blond, trying to read the situation.

"Damn, I think it- _he_ likes you Sanji." Tyler whistled and the blond shrugged. He was fine with Zoro, as long as the Mershark didn't try to hurt him.

"I don't think he likes me very much though, probably cause I was the one who knocked him out."

"T-That'll do i-it." Sanji rasped, peeking over at Zoro from the corner of his eye. That gray eye was now wide and angry; his sharp, jagged teeth bared at Tyler in fury. Sanji shivered, wondering how his friend was comfortable with such a hateful stare directed at him.

"Come on Sanji, it's almost lights out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's up!? Chapter two is up! Tell me what your favorite Zosan fanfic is, I'm curious and would like a good read. Let me know! As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	3. You Chew Before You Swallow

The next morning, Sanji made it his mission to find out what Zoro ate and get food into the Mershark. Greg had held a meeting at the table at breakfast and told the crew that they'd be heading to a nearby island to get more supplies and try to figure out what exactly to do with Zoro. The doctors aboard were still waiting for the all-clear for some samples but Sanji asked for Greg to hold them off until he knew that Zoro was properly fed.

Sanji carefully pushed open the door and walked in, balancing a covered tray in his hands. He rested the tray on his shoulder and respectfully knocked twice on the glass. Sliding the platter onto the platform before climbing up himself, pulling up his sleeves to flick at the water. Zoro surfaced almost immediately, a few feet from his left. Sanji beckoned him closer and Zoro did just that, which both surprised and excited the chef. Pushing the tray to the edge for easy access, Sanji pulled the lid off to present several different fresh, raw cuts of fish.

"I don't know what you like, so I figured a bit of everything would do." Sanji easily explained as Zoro's eyes raked over the meat.

"This...is for me?" Zoro asked slowly, like he was skeptical.

"Yeah." Sanji assured, but Zoro only continued to eye the platter warily.

"Don't worry, I prepared it." Sanji didn't know if it would make a difference but apparently it did because, in an instant, Zoro looked less hesitant and gently plucked up the cut salmon.

"You prepare meals? That's more of a female thing in my culture." Zoro smirked as Sanji gave him a glare.

"Anyone can be a chef, _Marimo_." Sanji sneered, crossing his arms and glowering down at a smug Zoro.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night Blondie." Zoro's eye narrowed at the chef, the nickname obviously grated his nerves. Sanji grinned, that would be what the blond called Zoro from now on. Seeing that the chef wasn't going to retort, Zoro busied himself with messily eating each sample of fish. Sanji couldn't help but stare as Zoro used his teeth to tear, not chew; basically swallowing each chunk whole. He licked his fingers clean when he had finished every last bite, looking content as Sanji lazily slid his fingers through the water.

"So Cook, you gaining something by feeding me?" His voice was hard and Sanji could see his walls come up as his expression went oddly blank.

"No, I'm doing this cause a dear friend asked a favor of me." Sanji sighed, watching Zoro relax out the corner of his eye.

"Hmm..." Was his barbaric response and Sanji sat up, the sudden movement not startling Zoro in the slightest. He put the lid back onto the empty tray and relaxed back onto his side, staring into the finally-settling water below.

"Any preferences? I'll be sure to add it to the meal schedule." Sanji inquired and Zoro glided away, his face scrunched in thought.

"You wouldn't happen to have seal, would you?" Sanji chuckled and shook his head, the Mershark pouting childishly at the negative response. The blond finding Zoro's grumpy side strangely endearing.

"No, but we're stopping at a winter island soon. I'll see if they have some." Zoro perked up and nodded eagerly.

"I like tuna too." Zoro waved a hand and took a dip under, swirling up dirt yet again to make the perfect ambushing environment for unwanted visitors. He surfaced with a satisfied look and Sanji now was as good a time as ever to speak up.

"Tuna for breakfast tomorrow it is." Zoro turned to give Sanji a confused glance.

"Break...fast?" The chef couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up, Zoro just leveled his amusement with a glower that would have normal people running for the hills.

"Ya know, when you eat in the morning? That's called Breakfast." Zoro scowled, crossing his arms as his ears flushed a lovely shade of pink.

"We don't have set occasions, we eat when we feel like it." Zoro snorted and Sanji filed away the information for later evaluation.

"That must be nice. So no lunch or dinner either huh?" Sanji stood and brushed his pants clear of dirt and wood flakes, it was getting closer to lunch and he had to prepare.

"Like my Prince says: If you're hungry, eat." Zoro stated, confidence dripping from every word and Sanji smiled.

"He sounds like a smart fellow." Sanji congratulated, picking up the tray.

"I'll see you later Marimo." Zoro's eye narrowed at the new name, but bid him a gruff goodbye none-the-less. Sanji skipped the ladder, jumping off the platform and strut from the room, clicking the door softly shut behind him.

*

Sanji threw together a quick brunch (breakfast/lunch) for the crew. When he was finished with the french toast and pancakes, he moved to the salmon. He prepared Zoro's meal away from the crew's, he didn't think they'd appreciate the stink of raw fish on their brunch.

It didn't surprise him when Oscar was the first to burst into the galley with a massive smile and a grumbling stomach, Sanji pointed to the already-plated dish of food paired with a tall glass of milk. Oscar gratefully snatched the plate and cup before running off to the table to await the others. Sanji finished the salmon and laid them onto a plate to take to Zoro before washing his hands, the fishy smell still faintly lingering.

"Alright Oscar, the french toast and pancakes are in the oven to keep them warm. You know where the drinks are, tell the others when they come up yeah?" Oscar's mouth was stuffed, so he just sent Sanji a thumbs-up. Sanji chuckled and marched out, going below deck to the door he knew well. He turned the knob and used his heel to nudge it open further.

"Alright Marimo-" Sanji turned and froze like a deer in headlights, there were three crew members on the platform. They were staring into the water, looking rather suspicious.

"Oi, _what_ are you doing?" Sanji demanded and their heads whipped over to stare at him, their expressions the equivalent of catching a kid with their hand in the cookie jar. None of them answered.

"Whatever. Get out before Greg hears about this." Sanji snapped, tipping his head toward the door he had just walked through. They scrambled down the ladder and hurried past him to disappear from sight. Sanji sighed, his coiled muscles relaxing. He startled when he saw Zoro peering at him through the glass, a strange emotion in his eye before it was gone. Sanji climbed up and deposited the plate on the edge yet again as Zoro surfaced inches from him to take one of the salmon to chow on.

"Sorry about them. What were they doing?" Zoro swallowed a chunk before responding.

"Talking about how much I would sell for." He snapped bitterly and Sanji felt guilt wash over him. In the end, Zoro was still a prisoner.

"There will be doctors wanting samples coming in here soon." Sanji felt like he should be warned, Zoro just nodded.

"I know." His face was hard and he tore at the next cut of fish. Sanji sighed, flopping down onto his back to stare at the artificial light above him.

"I'm sorry." Sanji didn't know what he was apologizing for: the fact that Zoro was going to poked and prodded at, or the fact he could do absolutely nothing to stop it. Unless he wanted to break Zoro out, how ever he would even go about doing that, all he could do is sit by and watch.

The door opened and Zoro instinctively sunk down until only his eye was showing. It was Bennett, his ugly mug was the last thing Sanji wanted to see. The fucker had tried to sexually assault him at least three times, just because he had pretty skin no less.

"Sanji~" He purred and the blond sat up, glaring at the pervert with narrowed eyes.

"The fuck do you want?" The chef sneered as Bennett slid closer, a smug grin on his lips. Usually girls would flock toward him because of his looks, but Sanji knew better. Bennett was nothing short of a slippery snake, his personality dark and demented.

"We're nearing the island."

"So?" Sanji scowled, moving his leg when Bennett reach out to touch it. The chef slid back as far as he could without going into the water when the asshole climbed up the ladder to stand above him. Bennett towered over where Sanji sat and he couldn't help how his heart started to pound in his ears. The pervert took a small step forward and tan hands shot up to grip the platform next to the blond, the sharp nails putting indents in the wood.

Zoro dragged his upper body from the water to bare his terrifyingly sharp teeth at Bennett; his tail thrashed in the water, forcefully splashing the murky liquid around in a show of aggression. Zoro's forarm bumped against the chef's shoulder and Sanji didn't dare move in fear of being attacked by accident. The asshole seemed to get the message and backed away, moving off the platform; the smile had been effectively wiped right off his face.

Bennett was _pissed_.

"That fish won't be around you all the time...see you on deck _Sanji."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What an ass, am I right? The plot thickens~ As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	4. Blubber

"Come on Sanji!" Oscar squealed, excitedly rushing ahead and into the thick crowds. Sanji snuggled further into his soft jacket, they had just docked at winter island. The chef continued on further into the market, following after where Oscar had disappeared. He stopped at a stand every-so-often, scanning over their merchandise. Brown slabs to his right caught his attention and he stepped up to the male sharpening a large knife.

"This wouldn't happen to be seal, would it?" The man paused, a smile quirking his lips.

"Why, that's exactly what I'm selling. Freshly caught just this morning and skinned right here." Sanji beamed, Zoro would love it. Sanji ended up buying a few pounds, some for a surprise lunch and the rest he'd dry for snacks. Thanking him with the sincerest gratitude, Sanji moved on to look at some interesting spices.

Once he was fully stocked, with only some change left, he started his hunt for Oscar. The boy sure knew how to disappear right when it was time to head back; Sanji wandered around, occasionally calling the teen's name. He had to think like Oscar, to figure out where the runt would go. An idea pooped in his head and he headed to the nearest candy shop, sighing in relief when he saw familiar ginger hair rooting among the aisles.

"Oscar, pick something out quickly. It's time to go." Sanji quipped from where he had snuck up on the boy. Oscar gave a yelp, turning to face the chef with wide eyes. Sanji cracked a smug grin while Oscar pouted over his lost dignity. The blond dug the last of his money from his coat and handed it to Oscar, who stared up at him with an awe-struck gaze.

"You're just _giving_ this to me?" He asked skeptically and Sanji scoffed, ruffling the boy's hair affectionately.

"Yep. Now go grab something and lets go." The chef nudged Oscar's back, the boy scrambled forward to grab two lolly-pops and a few chocolates. He quickly paid and tried handing Sanji the last of the change, who refused and told him to keep it. Oscar was bursting with joy and content as shoved the coins into his pocket, rushing after the long-legged blond.

*

"Guess what I found you for dinner..." He paled, there were a bunch of people on the platform. The tray trembled in his clenched hands, they had those weird stick things submerged in the water as someone messed with the countless switches.

"Hey..." Sanji's voice cracked as Zoro writhered in the water, clearly in pain. Those stick things could hurt him without leaving a mark, at least four scientists were trying to get a thick cord around his neck and tail.

"Hey _stop!"_ Sanji finally found his voice, he set the platter down to sprint to the platform, clambering up. The scientists paused their assault to look at Sanji distastefully, the blond glared right back. Zoro gasped, his hazy eye squinting open at the sound of a familiar voice, his gaze almost immediately landing on the chef.

"You're hurting him for no reason! Maybe if you didn't treat him like an animal-" Sanji was shoved by a more burly scientist who wore a sneer, cutting the blond off. Sanji stumbled but regained his balance as Zoro snarled, his tail thrashing in the water.

"Why don't you go back to the kitchen like a good little cunt and leave this to the professionals?" Sanji didn't think before he swung, his fist cracking across the scientist's face, breaking his nose and bruising one of Sanji's fingers. He mentally swore at himself in at least three languages for using one of his precious hands to injure some asshole, but the urge had come over him before he could stop himself. He kindly hissed to his brain that his legs were _perfectly_ capable of fighting a few egotistical dicks in white.

"You're going to regret that!" Sanji furrowed his brow, he already did- he let out a whoosh of air as another scientist shoved a baton into his stomach. It cracked over his head before he could regain his bearings and he gasped as liquid poured from a cut just above his eyebrow. In a daze, he registered being grabbed by multiple hands and the harsh agony of fists harshly shoving into his abdomen. He was sure he made some sort of choked noise, because it fucking _hurt_.

"What the fuck? _Sanji!?_ Let him go!" Sanji blinked, his vision red from the blood dripping down his face. That was Greg's voice, he felt their grip give way and he slumped down.

Right into the murky tank.

"You idiots! That thing has shark tendencies!" Greg shouted and Sanji hit the water head-first, sinking down. The dirty liquid around him turning crimson, he twitched as the water rushed into his lungs to suffocate him. He ached too much to move, to do anything other than float down. A flash of green whipped across his vision before hands gripped him under his armpits, quickly tugging him toward the surface. He broke through the water, coughing and sputtering. His heavy head lolled back and he forced his eyes open to stare up at a livid Zoro, but there was something wrong with his eye.

It was completely black.

The blonde's coughing subsided, most of the salt water had been forced from his body. Sanji lifted his head from Zoro's tan shoulder to peer at a wide-eyed Greg. He had shed his jacket and his shoes, looking ready to jump in. Weird growling and clicking sounds ripped from Zoro as Sanji's back was pressed tighter against the Mershark's chest. One of Zoro's hands were sprawled out over his chest, the other gripping his side to keep his shoulders above the pink-tinted water.

 **"Do-n't hurt...him."** Zoro's voice had an almost bubbling quality to it, like he was speaking underwater. Blood slipped down from the cut on the blonde's forehead, dripping off his nose to splash onto Zoro's arm. The Mershark's body trembled, his heavy breathing puffing onto Sanji's ear. His heart hammering against Sanji's back as his grip on the chef shifted from tense to relaxed and back again.

 **"Promise m-e...you won-'t hurt him."** Zoro's voice dropped, sounding strained as Sanji groaned from the splitting headache tearing through his skull. All Greg could do was nod, Zoro hesitantly glided forward; making sure Sanji's head stayed above water as he swam closer to the platform. Greg reached forward to gently wrap around Sanji's torso, Zoro's hands shook as he forcefully loosened his grip on the chef. Sanji was pulled out of the tank as soon as Zoro had let go, pulled into Greg's lap.

The poor captain given a scare when the scientist standing next to him was violently dragged into the murky depths, the scientist screamed as the crunching of bone could be heard. Blood flooding the water around the unlucky soul, he was yanked around for another few seconds before disappearing beneath the pool of red.

Neither the scientist nor Zoro resurfaced, everyone but a stunned Greg and an unconscious Sanji moved as far away from the water's edge as possible. The calming red waves lapping as the sides of the tank, green hair caught everyone's attention. Zoro still had that strange black film over his actual eyeball as he blatantly stared at the unmoving chef. Crimson coated his mouth, his teeth stained with the stuff.

A severed head bubbled up near the platform and the scientists scattered, running from the room as fast as they could, Tyler rushed in seconds later. His eyes flickering from the duo to the red tank, he burst into action. Sprinting forward to shake Greg back into awareness, he helped Greg move Sanji off the platform and onto the ground. The chef barely even twitched, his eyes closed, his chest didn't appear to be moving.

Tyler placed his head on the blonde's chest, exhaling in relief when he felt a strong heartbeat. The slight brush of wind on the back of his head from Sanji's breathing, the chef was okay. He moved onto Greg, the shock setting in and making his captain unresponsive. Doctors rushed into the room and Tyler ignored their wide-eyed stare at the gruesome scene behind them, shouting orders. A heavy bright orange blanket was wrapped around Greg and he was lead away, Sanji being loaded onto a stretcher and carried out.

Tyler felt eyes on the back of his head and turned, catching the inky black gaze of the Mershark. His jaw worked as bits of body parts floated around him, Zoro looked completely feral. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose; they would have to find a way to get him out so they could clean the tank. This time they would put down rocks instead of sand, to make it more safe for the crew.


	5. Bubble Bath

Sanji slowly returned to the land of consciousness with a bone-deep ache in his right hand. He assumed he did more than just bruise a finger, he peeled his crusted lids open and slowly brought the hand in question up into his field of vision. He was right, his middle finger was taped to his ring finger and kept sturdy with a metal splint. He sighed, slowly sitting up. The pounding headache between his eyes making itself known as the room danced around him.

"Fuck my life." Sanji flopped back down onto the cushy pillow, closing his eyes and messaging his temples. The door creaked open and Sanji turned his head to see Oscar, he was Dr. Raine's assistant in the med bay as well as his other duties.

"You're awake!" Sanji repressed the urge to cover his ears at the obnoxiously high tone, he must have made a pained facial expression cause Oscar smiled apologetically and lowered his voice.

"Sorry. I'm glad you're finally up though, that Mershark is sure giving us a lot of trouble." Sanji's brows went up, his eyes showing both amusement and confusion.

"What kind of trouble? How long was I out?" Sanji tried to sit up again and Oscar rushed to help, putting a reassuring hand in-between the chef's shoulder blades.

"About a day and a half. The Mershark constantly asks for you and won't touch the food we bring him." Sanji chuckled before worry flooded his brain.

"He hasn't eaten anything?" Oscar nodded and Sanji grit his teeth, swinging his legs so his feet rested on the cool wood floor.

"He's back to normal?" Oscar tilted his head, looking lost.

"Normal?" Sanji nodded.

"Is his eye gray?" Oscar had to think for a moment before nodding, Sanji huffed. The blond stood, wobbling. Oscar was quick to steady him with his hands.

"He's in the bath house since the tank is being thoroughly cleaned." Laughter burst from Sanji and Oscar smiled.

"The bathhouse?" He gasped as he calmed down, Oscar opened the door for them and they stumbled through.

"There was a huge debate about it." Oscar giggled and Sanji snorted, he could imagine how much chaos _that_ conversation was. They made a pit-stop at the galley, Sanji sat heavily onto a chair as Oscar pulled a platter of dried seal meat and Sanji looked impressed.

"I figured you wouldn't want it to go bad..."

"Smart boy." Sanji gave him a thumbs up before gesturing to the other fish slabs in the fridge.

"Mind filling the plate up? He's got to be starving." Oscar did exactly that, throwing cuts of Salmon, Tuna, and Walleye onto the platter with the seal.

"This good?" The chef nodded. After lots of reassurance of Sanji's balance, Oscar finally gave into the chef's orders to hold the platter as he lead the way to Zoro.

*

Sanji opened the door for Oscar and the boy skipped in, gesturing at Sanji to wait out of sight.

"Runt." A deep voice grumbled.

"I keep telling you, it's _Oscar_. Os-car." The boy whined, making a low chuckle come from Zoro.

"Sure Runt. How's Sanji? Is he wake yet? How bad is he hurt?" Sanji snuck a peek into the room, Oscar had set the tray aside. Zoro didn't even glance at it, his gaze focused on the child before him. He recognized how Oscar bowed his head, his lip wobbling. This kid was gonna prank Zoro, Oscar sure was a brave soul.

"T-The doctor said there's a chance h-he won't wa-ke up due to a-a head in-jury..." Sanji rolled his eyes at the kid's dramatic sniffles. A splash had Sanji looking over to see Zoro had pulled himself farther out of the tub, he looked distressed.

"Hey Runt, it's okay. He'll be fine." He cooed, a chirp noise slipping passed his lips. Oscar moved his hands from his face to blink at Zoro with big doe eyes that Sanji had personally experienced on many occasion.

"Really? Will you call me Oscar? It will make me feel better." The poor Mershark fell for it, nodding his head.

"Promise?" Oscar made a big show of letting his eyes well with tears, the runt was going to get his ass kicked one day.

"I give you my word, Oscar." He made a face, like the name sounded funny. The boy clapped with an excited squeal, all traces of earlier sadness gone in an instant. Zoro's eye narrowed as Oscar waved Sanji in.

"Well, then I'm happy to inform that Sanji woke up ten minutes ago." Oscar giggled, looking too sinister for a boy no older than thirteen.

"You tricked me?" Zoro growled, crossing his arms to pout in a very non-threatening way. He didn't seem to harbor any ill-intent toward the kid who just coned him.

"Yup, aren't I good at it!?" Oscar looked way too proud as Sanji pushed the door open wider and stepped into the slightly heated bathroom.

"You're a brat." Zoro growled, his eye already moving to rest on Sanji. His gray pool looking the chef over, his gaze coming to a shrieking halt on his injured finger.

"Your hand..." The blond chuckled nervously as a dark expression washed over the Marimo's face.

"Yeah, must've happened when I punched one of those assholes in white." Zoro squirmed in the tub, his eye hesitating before flickering over to the covered tray.

"The doctor's in my culture are better. Is that for me?" He quipped, his eye lighting up with hope. Sanji snorted, waltzing forward to grab the tray with his uninjured hand. He plopped it down next to the Mershark and tiredly slumped down onto the slightly damp floor next to him.

"Yeah, make sure you eat every bite Marimo." Zoro scoffed at the nickname but wasted no time to retort in order to dig in.

"Hey Sanji?" Oscar questioned, he had made himself comfortable on the edge of the massive tub.

"Hm?" The blond hummed, raising an eyebrow at the boy.

"What's going to happen to Zoro?" Sanji swallowed the sudden lump in his throat as the Mershark paused his chomping spree.

"I...I have no idea, but he'll be okay. I give you my word." Sanji glanced at Zoro from the corner of his eye, seeing the Mershark give him a thoughtful glance. Then the idiot was tearing into the food again, his eye light with joy as he chowed on the dried seal. The blond rested his elbow on the side of the tub, his chin on his palm.

Sanji would keep his promise.


	6. Pick Your Battles

 Sanji examined his yellowing neck in the mirror. The bruising was almost gone, he scowled down at his not-so-okay finger with hateful eyes. His body was supposed to be stronger, but _no_ , one punch and his finger fractures like glass. He was frustrated, he was supposed to take it easy when cooking; but how could he do that when there was so much _responsibility_ on his shoulders? Especially now that Zoro was in the tank again and those scientists from the island they are currently docked at were asking to come back in three days. Not to mention the fact that Bennett had it out for him, trying to corner the chef somewhere secluded at every opportunity. 

So, he took it upon himself to spend as much time with Zoro as he could. Greg didn't mind due to what he had witnessed, but he _did_ say Sanji was allowed to oversee the scientists as they took samples and such from Zoro. Sanji would be in charge of how they went about the process and he was immensely thankful, making Greg his favorite dinner to show his gratitude. 

He threw together some walleye and a strip of dried seal before hurrying to Zoro, avoiding Bennett and his friends in the process. He nudged the door open and jogged over to the glass to knock twice, waiting. A moment later Zoro's face swam into view, a smirk on his lips. Sanji snorted and pointed up to the platform before moving to climb the ladder. It was hard to do because of his finger, but he was Sanji _fucking_ Vinsmoke and he'd _die_ before he let a broken bone hinder him. The blond set the tray down and Zoro was immediately pulling off the lid and scarfing the raw meat down. Sanji flopped onto his back in exhaustion and stared up at the ceiling for a few quiet moments.

"Have you ever tried to eat seaweed or kelp before?" The chef questioned, his head turning as Zoro gave him an incredulous look.

"I'm a carnivore, a predator. Why in the _hell_ would I eat green shit?" Sanji laughed, he should have expected that response.

"I was just curious, no need to bite my head off." He snorted, rolling over to flick water at the Marimo's scowling face. He seemed to be thinking, they lasped into a comfortable silence.

"Ask me whatever you want, I'll answer to the best of my ability." Zoro suddenly mumbled and Sanji's gaze snapped over to him. The blonde's eyes wide, pondering if he actually heard the Marimo right.

"Huh...?" Was his intelligent response to this. Zoro just clicked his teeth at the chef in a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

"You heard me curly." He snarled, but Sanji wasn't afraid. He was _ecstatic_.

"Wow! Really!? You aren't fucking with me!?" Zoro blinked, the anger bleeding from his face only to be replaced with confusion.

"No. I'll tell the truth. You can trust me." Zoro slid a hand through his wet green hair, his eyes flickering from Sanji to his unfinished meal.

"I _do_ trust you." Sanji assured and Zoro perked up, his eye bright with a strange emotion. That gray pool swirling with flecks of white and silver, it was beautiful. Sanji shook himself out of his daze, clearing his throat before rolling to face the ceiling once again.

"Okay...um, what were you talking about when you asked me what my 'rank' was?" Sanji started out simple, Zoro's arm brushing against the chef's golden locks as the Marimo pulled his upper body onto the platform.

"I'm a step down from my prince. I'm his guard, so my rank would be his second-in-command." Zoro explained, looking patient as Sanji let the information sink in.

"So my rank would be...?" He trailed off, waiting for Zoro to finish.

"It's easy, you're the chef. That simple. Only _warriors_ have ranks." Zoro scoffed, Sanji's eyes narrowed. He sat up, ignoring Zoro's questioning gaze.

"I may be a _chef_ , but I can still fight. Asshole." Sanji sneered, turning to climb down the ladder.

"Yeah, you made that apparent when you got your ass _handed_ to you by some _scientists_." Zoro deadpanned and Sanji froze in his tracks. It hadn't been a fair fight, and he didn't know that he was going to be ganged up in until it was too late. It had been a careless mistake, the fuck-up didn't make him any less of a warrior.

But he didn't have to explain himself to the idiot Marimo.

"Fuck you." The blond snapped, dropping off the platform and making his way to his quarters, avoiding bumping into any crewmates. He wanted to be alone, the blond shut and made sure to lock the door behind himself. He shuffled sleepily to his bed and flopped down, a yawn bursting from his lips. He had only just closed his eyes when a knock disturbed him, Sanji sighed. He pushed himself up and staggered over to groggily open the door, it was Oscar.

"Hey Sanji! Are you busy?" The chef shook his head, a smile spreading onto the boys face at the answer.

"Sweet, so you could do me a _huge_ solid?" He pleaded, his eyes already begging Sanji to accept. The blond sighed, a headache starting to make itself known.

"What do you need?" Oscar squealed, jumping a bit with excitement.

"Tyler wanted me to go pick up a few barrels with the boys, but the town is throwing a festival and I _really_ want to go." Sanji thought about it, Oscar was a kid; therefore, he should be able to _be_ one.

"Only if you do something for me in return." Oscar leaned forward, agreeing to Sanji's terms without actually verbally confirming it.

"Could you stop by the tank and pick up the tray? I forgot to grab it." That was a lie, he had stalked off before Zoro finished eating, so he left it. Oscar told him not to worry about it and thanked him at least fifteen times before rushing off to get ready. Sanji groaned, walking sluggishly up onto deck to wait for his helpers.

Alcohol _did_ sound good.

 


	7. Bar Fight

Sanji hauled up another barrel, Tyler easily picking up two barrels of aged whiskey. They were heavy, _really_ heavy; but he could manage. The blond loaded it into the wooden transport, waltzing back to grab another. On a more frustrating note, he had to be mindful of his injured finger when he moved the giant barrels around.

He was pretty content with letting Oscar have fun while he soaked his white dress shirt with sweat, he should have just worn casual clothes. There was a frightened yelp that put Sanji on edge, his head whipping toward the noise so fast he heard something pop. A few feet away there was group of drunk guys surrounding a teenage girl and her friend, the blonde's eyes narrowed as they caged-in the poor girls.

"Come on baby, let's have some fun..." A guy slurred, gripping onto the horrified girls arm.

"I already said no. Now leave us alone." She was starting to panic, her eyes wide. The guy only chuckled and yanked her closer, Sanji snapped. He dropped the barrel that he had been carrying and stalked toward the group. Tyler noticed Sanji stomping off and raised a brow, his eyes sliding over to the scene the blond was glaring at. He sighed when he saw the girls and put his own barrels down to follow after the chef, there was a good chance Sanji wouldn't need back up; but with his hand injured, most of his attacks would be difficult to preform.

Sanji was seething with rage, his protective nature flaring. The restrained girl made eye-contact with him and her gaze calmed a bit, like she somehow _knew_ he was coming to help. Sanji snapped out his uninjured hand to grab the drunk guys wrist. Said intoxicated gentleman glowered drousily at the chef, his lips turning down into a frown.

"She said _back off_ , asshat." Sanji snarled, his grip tightening. The guy winced and a surge of satisfaction rippled through his body.

"Don't butt in where you don't belong, beat it blondie." A guy to his left scoffed and Sanji calmly turned to reguard him with cold eyes.

"I'm not the one who can't take no for an answer here, so why don't you take your buddies and go have a friendly little circle jerk?" Sanji snapped, the guys face scrunching in anger and disgust at the suggestion.

"You fucker-" The thrown fist was expected, Sanji easily side-stepped the punch. His grip still tight around the first guys wrist.

"You don't want to fight me." Sanji warned, but they didn't listen. Before the chef could blink, the drunk assholes were abandoning the girls to rush him. Sanji's leg whipped out to bodily connect with a guys face, the dude stumbled back. Another taking his place only to be forced back by his steel-toed boots, a searing pain spread across his back. Sanji stumbled forward, swiveling to see yet another idiot wielding a metal bat. He wondered where the hell the thing had come from. He dropped as a pipe rushed over him, narrowly missing his head.

He figured they weren't as stupid as he originally thought, going for the knock-out instead of trying to beat him head-on. It was a cowardly way to fight, but no less efficient. He grit his teeth and pushed off the ground with his hands, his feet slamming into his unlucky victim's jaw. His finger throbbed, but he ignored it in favor of turning to the frozen girls.

"Run!" He demanded and the girl grabbed her friend and the two tore down the street, quickly disappearing from sight.

"Son if a bitch! You'll pay for that!" The main guy growled and Sanji straightened, digging out a cigarette to light. He took a pull and his body relaxed, his head tipping up to look at the beautiful sunset.

"Last chance." He exhaled the smoke, his head tilting to peer at the furious drunk group. He had already knocked out two out of the nine assholes, injuring three more. The main dude scowled, pointing the the blond with a trembling finger.

"Get him!" The chef sighed, tapping the ash off his cancer stick as the remaining three guys ran at him. Of course the main bastard hung back, not getting involved.

"Have it your way." Sanji shrugged, twisting to grab a guys face and forcefully stub out his cigarette on the dude's forehead.

*

Sanji walked into the room shirtless, his torso covered with bandages. He knocked as usual and wasted no time to carefully climb up the ladder. The smile on Zoro's lips dropped as soon as he saw the almost-mummified blond. The Marimo surfaced further and reached out toward the bandages, Sanji shifted away from the touch and Zoro let his hand drop. The blond wasn't too keen on getting the bandages wet with salt water of all things, the burn would force him to go back the the infirmary and receive an earful from Dr. Raine.

"What happened cook?" The Mershark looked upset, Sanji placed the tuna dinner down and flopped onto his sore back.

"Some dicks were fucking around with some girls, they were uninterested but the morons wouldn't leave them alone. So I stepped in." Sanji explained, the worst of his injuries being a bruised rib. He had a split lip, a line-shaped bruise across his back, several shallow knife wounds, and his broken finger was jostled; it would take even longer to heal.

"They came out worse than I did." Sanji blurted, his eyes heavy. He was exhausted, each blink becoming longer. Zoro nodded, and if Sanji wasn't hallucinating, he almost looked... _proud_. The Marimo turned his attention to his food as Sanji slipped deeper into a restful state, his whole body turning into puddy.

He was so comfortable, his ears listening for Zoro, but the guy was almost silent. The only thing being heard was the lapping waves from his tail lazily swishing back and forth in the water. The blonde's breathing evened out and the world went dark as he slipped into a relaxed sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this chapter's shorter than usual. Sanji is one tough mofo and I love him so much! Why don't you guys comment you're favorite thing about our one and only Strawhat chef!? I love how he's a gentleman. Sue me. As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	8. Early Arrival

"Sanji, call off your shark friend!" Tyler hollered, jerking Sanji from his peaceful slumber.

"Don't wake him up you piece of shit!" An angry Marimo snarled, his face contorting with fury as Sanji peeled his eyes open.

"I have to, the scientists are here a day early. It's already almost noon." That had Sanji sobering out of his groggy state _real_ quick. He sat up, Zoro's tan hand gently pressing on his shoulder as he locked gazes with an amused Tyler. Strangely, he stood a few feet away from the platform.

"He wouldn't let me up." Tyler gestured toward Zoro with a tilt of his head, his hands comfortably tucked onto his pockets. Zoro make a noise between a growl and a hiss at Tyler, who looked as relaxed as ever. Sanji shivered at the unnerving sound, he would never know how Tyler kept his poker face so perfect. It seemed as if nothing fazed the man.

"The scientists are _here? Now?"_ Sanji panicked, everyone had expected them tomorrow.

"Yeah, Greg told me to give you a heads-up...but you weren't in your room." Sanji flushed, but Tyler didn't really look bothered by his apparent nap near the Mershark, so Sanji didn't read too much into his comment.

"Okay, just stall for five more minutes. I need to change into clean clothes." Sanji scrambled to his feet and jumped off the platform. Tyler nodded, a grin stretching out onto his face as the duo walked out, side-by-side. Tyler escorted Sanji to his room before continuing on to the Captains office to do what Sanji asked. The blond rushed around his room, jumping into some nice slacks and pulling on a simple navy blue tank-top. He jogged to the Captain's office and pushed the door open, all eyes were on him as he stepped in. These were different people from last time, a tall male with dark hair and piercing gold eyes stepped forward and held out a hand. He noticed the word _'DEATH'_ tattooed across his knuckles.

"Greetings, I am Trafalgar D. Water Law. I will be looking at the specimen. I hear you are the caretaker?" His voice was cold and emotionless, just like his gaze. All Sanji could do was nod and reach out to shake the extended limb.

"We will do everything we can to make sure the specimen is comfortable during the process." Sanji let out the breath he had been holding and smiled, moving his hand back to his side.

"Thank you, I appreciate that." He waved to Greg before leading the group of five to Zoro. The Mershark was lounging where Sanji left him when he returned.

"Took you long enough curly." He quipped, his eyes scanning over the scientists before coming to a screeching halt on Law. His eye widening comically before a mask made his face unreadable.

"We'll start with the easy stuff, simple muscle and vision checks." Law explained, Sanji staying back as the scientist's climbed up the ladder and set to work. Law spoke though what he was doing, sometimes lowering his voice to speak to Zoro. Sanji couldn't hear what was being said, but Zoro didn't look upset by it so Sanji let it be. When it got to the tissue sample and the blood draw, Sanji tensed. Law pulled out a vile of clear liquid and filled a syringe, Zoro moved back a bit. The Marimo eyeing the needle with a wary gray orb, Law looked down at Zoro and lifted a brow. Sanji walked forward and climbed the ladder, squatting down next to Law to give Zoro an encouraging smile.

"It's okay Zoro, it won't hurt too much. The faster you get this over with, the faster they leave." Zoro pressed his lips together and avoided eye contact. Sanji tilted his head, curious as to why he looked so guilty.

"This isn't for him." Law stated ominously and Sanji tensed, his head turning. A pinch in his neck had him tensing, a cold feeling spreading through his body. He grit his teeth and hunched over, hands catching his shoulders as his vision went blurry and his body shook like a leaf.

"Is he okay?" He faintly heard Zoro ask, his body was handed off to someone else as his muscles spasmed. He registered being placed on the cold ground before he abruptly dropped into unconsciousness.

*

His eyes were heavy when he returned to awareness, his body still and unresponsive. He couldn't move, but the constant throb in his body was gone.

"You _let_ them take it? You know how bad this is? I can't help you if you don't have it." That was Law, but he sounded frustrated. It was different from the dull tone from earlier, his foggy brain trying to reboot.

"I didn't _let_ them. That asshole Tyler knocked me out and when I came-to, it was gone." Zoro growled, Sanji's finger twitched. How did he get here? Why was he on the floor? What happened?

"Luffy won't be happy about this, it's hard enough to keep him from wreaking havoc on this ship." Law sighed, he sounded tired. Sanji's eyes finally fluttered open and he yelped when the face of a white-haired male was inches from his. A gold necklace dangling from his throat, it was a strange coral shape; it looked like it was coated with real gold, it was actually pretty fitting for the male.

"Bepo, don't crowd him." Law and Zoro's gaze moved to the groggy chef as he tried to regain his bearings.

"You...you shoved a needle in my neck! What the fuck was that for!?" Sanji seethed, sitting up so fast the world around him spun. He pointed a trembling finger at the two of them accusingly.

"And _you!_ Did you know he was going to drug me! What was that stuff!?" Sanji fired off, his walls slamming up as he stared at the Mershark. What an idiot he was, trusting Zoro. For all he knew, he had been poisoned or even infected with a parasite! They could have done anything to him. His stomach rolled and he flopped onto his side, breathing heavily.

"Cook? Law, he doesn't look so good." Zoro murmured, his eye tight with worry. Sanji snarled at him, his gaze betrayed.

"It was the right vial, I don't understand." Law had a crease in his brow as he hopped off the platform, gracefully landing on the ground to approach him.

"Stay away from me." The chef warned, his chest clenched unexpectedly and suddenly he couldn't breathe. His hands flew up to curl into the fabric of his shirt, rolling as something forced its way up his throat. Sweat poured from his body as he convulsed on the ground.

"Law! What's wrong with him!?" Sanji thought about telling the Mershark to fuck off, but noticed how Zoro had dragged himself halfway onto the platform. His face tense as he observed Sanji's twitching form, mouth curled into a deep frown. The chef's own jaw was forced open and a warm mound of black sludge splattered onto the wood, his arms trembled as he held himself over the disgusting sight.

"Oh my god." His head swam, hands grabbing him before he could face-plant into his own vomit.

"That has never happened before. That's the tar that was in your lungs from your bad smoking habit." Law looked undeterred from the puke puddle and easily lifted Sanji up. He didn't even protest, grabbing onto the dark trench coat Law wore. The chef's eyes widened as his gaze moved down to his fingers, they were curled into the soft fabric.

There was no pain. None.

He was _positive_ he had a broken finger, he struggled until Law was forced to put him down. He ripped off his shirt with trembling hands, pulling off the bandages to show his unmarked chest. Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

No marks, no wounds, it was all gone. Vanished like the injuries weren't even there at all.


	9. Healing Potion

"Explain. _Now_." Sanji demanded, pushing himself up to stand on shaky legs. Law held up his hands in case he needed to catch the fuming blond. Sanji swatted the limbs away and leaned heavily against a nearby wall, he wanted to run. He wanted to get away, but he needed _answers_.

"It was a healing potion of sorts, I use it to preform what you humans call ' _miracles_.' It can heal almost everything except for genetic-based diseases, cancer, and diabetes. It healed your injuries and got rid of the negative effects of your smoking addiction." Law shrugged, like having a magic elixir _wasn't_ a big deal! It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, no one daring to say anything as the chef's thoughts spiraled.

"Wait...so are you a doctor or a scientist?" Sanji finally managed and Law chuckled.

"Both." Was his very vague response.

"And what did Zoro lose? Are you a Mershark too? Who's Luffy?" Sanji couldn't hold back his frustration, he was in the dark. He was being played. Law's eyes softened and he sighed, Zoro and the male sharing a look.

"Do you trust this human Roronoa?" Law inquired, they held eye contact for a moment. Sanji almost thought the Marimo was going to say no when he suddenly gave Law a sharp nod.

"With my life. I take full responsibility for any and all his actions from this point on. I give you my word." Sanji knew that _word_ thing must have been important, Law looked appeased by this and turned back to a curious Sanji.

"I am an Killer Whale hybrid, this necklace here-" Law gestured on yet another gold necklace snuggly against the hallow of his throat, this one looked like a small seashell. "This has magic in it that gives my kind the ability to walk among humans." Sanji tilted his head, blinking slowly as the puzzle pieces clicked.

"Is that what got taken from the Marimo? His shiny magic charm?" Everything was starting to make sense.

"That's why he can't leave..." Sanji trailed off, his eyes narrowing to peer at the two of them coldly.

"Why are you telling me all this?" Law smirked, impressed by the hot-headed human chef before him. He would make an amazing mate, he considered courting the blond. Squashing that idea as he recalled what he and Zoro spoke about, and his own courting situation. Sanji was 100% off-limits. Which was a real shame, the blond was flawless. Whether he knew it or not, Sanji had already courted Zoro by taking care of him. The doctor couldn't wait until Zoro started to return the courting gestures.

"I think you know." Law easily replied, the ball was in Sanji's court. Both hybrids watching as realization dawned on the blonde's face.

"You want me to steal the necklace back so Zoro can escape..." Oh how Law wanted to pursue this strong, intelligent, beautiful creature standing mere feet from him. His instincts screaming at him that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, he took a step toward the blond. A furious snarl accompanied by the violent splashing of water had Law snapping out of his feral haze, he slowly turned to look at Zoro.

The Shark hybrid was _livid_ with aggression, his whole body coiled. Law didn't want to think about what Zoro would've done to him if he had his amulet and saw his instincts slip. Zoro now knew Law had a slight interest in the chef as a potential mate. From the look in Zoro's eye, Law would not be trusted near Sanji for a long while. He straightened and dropped his gaze to the floor, slightly tilting his head to expose his neck in a show of submission. The irritated Mershark visibly calming, his tail slowing it's previously jerky movements. Zoro was never one to hold a grudge, so Law didn't really have to worry about their friendship.

"That would be the correct assumption." Sanji startled from his thoughts, turning to start briskly pacing back and forth for a few more moments. He froze, facing Law and Bepo with his back to Zoro.

"I'll help, I'll get the necklace." Law's body locked up from the pure determination in those sea-blue eyes, It was like the ocean was in his gaze. Alluring and its depth unknown to all, this human-no... _Sanji_ was like no other he has met in his lifetime.

"You'd do that? Even though you know how much we are, no-doubt, worth to the world?" Sanji scoffed, waving a hand at him. The chef was completely at ease with the situation he was just dragged into.

"You're his friend, you cared enough to sneak aboard this greedy human-operated ship and ask for my help to take back what is rightfully yours. You need someone on the inside, so here I am. How could I say no?" When he explained it like that, it made it sound like that's how _any_ human would react. Both Law and Zoro knew better though, humans were money-motivated by nature, so why was Sanji different? Law found himself wondering what made Sanji Vinsmoke tick.

"Well...uh, okay." Zoro was amused, it had been awhile since he'd seen Law trip over his words. Sanji tapped his foot in thought, and both hybrids found themselves willing to pay millions just to know what went on inside his head.

"Do you have an idea of where the amulet could be?" Law questions and Sanji nodded.

"Yeah, but I'll need to make sure. Will you be staying?" Law shook his head, he had to report back to Luffy and the King.

"No, but is there anything you need before I go?" Sanji hesitated, making Law's curiosity grow.

"Just give it to me straight okay?" Sanji's voice was small, soft with vulnerability. Law found he didn't like the look the blond had, it was almost as if he was bracing himself for some bad news.

"Yes?" Law pressed, wanting to know what was making Sanji so uneasy so he could fix it.

"Is the All Blue real, is it an actual place?" He finally blurted, his face pinched with dread when he got silence.

"That's all you want? No riches, no power?" Zoro tilted his head, and Sanji slowly shook his own as a clear 'no.' If it was an answer Sanji wanted, Law would give him one.

"I've been there."


	10. Swift Kick

Sanji gawked at Law, his eyes lighting up with hope.

" _Really!?_ What's it like!?" Sanji demanded excitedly, Zoro huffed at the chef's unusually bubbly behavior.

"Why? We can just take you there." Zoro shrugged, he'd seen it multiple times. He didn't think it was anything special, but if Sanji wanted to go, Luffy would surely take him.

"Really!? But...uh...how? I can't breathe underwater if you haven't noticed..." Sanji physically deflated and Law rushed to reassure him.

"I have something for that, I'll bring it and you can come with us when we leave." Sanji perked up a bit, the spark returning to his eyes.

"Wow! Thank you so much! This has been my dream since I was a kid! Are you sure I'm not asking for too much?" The blond fidgeted, Law found his mood swings endearing.

"Nope." Zoro shook his head, dipping back into the water for a moment before surfacing again. His tail must have been drying out.

"I'll come get you two in four days, that should be enough time to locate and retrieve the charm." Law packed up his medical kit, an ever-silent Bepo following close behind as the medical scientist strut from the room. Sanji jogged over to the platform, feeling better than he had in days.

"That serum really does work miracles." The blond teased, plucking up the tray from yesterday.

"I'm going to go fetch you some...uh, dinner?" Sanji didn't know how long he had been out, but it felt late.

"It's about four in the afternoon." Zoro stated boredly, using his nails to carve lines into the wooden platform.

"How can you tell?" Sanji wouldn't put it past him to somehow just _know_ what time it was.

"I can feel the tide. You can check if you want." Sanji shook his head as he stood.

"No, I believe you. See you in a bit." The chef rushed off to the galley, Tyler was leaning against the counter munching on a sandwich. Sanji frowned at him.

"What? You were busy with the scientist guy...and I was hungry." Sanji recalled the Prince's motto and sighed. His highness was right, to an extent.

"Then come and get me, I would've cooked something for you Ty." Sanji stepped past him and pulled the fridge open, sticking his head in to visually map what he was going to create. His gaze lingered on the steak and he decided kabobs sounded easy, plus he wouldn't have to cook them himself. This gave him more time to spend with Zoro, and away from Bennett.

He still had so many questions. He wanted to know more about their species. Law called himself a hybrid, did that mean that there weren't just _mermaids_? Or even mersharks? Sanji found it all intriguing, plus they kept bringing up this 'Luffy' character. He may have rushed a bit as the crew started arriving, but everything was still perfect. He decided to switch it up and prepare some crab meat for Zoro, just to see if he'd like it.

*

"So...remember when you told me you'd answer all of my questions honestly?" Sanji mused, sending glances at Zoro as he guzzled down the crab at an alarming rate. Thankfully, he paused.

"Yeah. Ask away Cook." Sanji played with the water, thinking about what he should talk about first.

"Why did Law stick me with that miracle needle?" Zoro froze, his eye snapping over to the blond.

"Uh...because Law had some on him that was originally for me, but I wasn't hurt. We needed you either out of the room or unconscious so we could talk. I just figured it would have to be the latter, I had told Law you were hurt so he suggested we use it on you." Sanji nodded thoughtfully, slight irritation rising at the memory of the cold metal sliding into his neck.

"That's why you looked so uncomfortable." Zoro looked away sheepishly and Sanji found it cute.

"Well, at least now I know to give Law a swift kick next time I see him." Zoro actually looked sorry for his friend, but he didn't comment because he would do the same thing.

"What about Luffy? Who's he?" Zoro looked surprised by this one.

"He's one of my closest companions, he's the prince and future King of the sea." Zoro's face had softened and there was a pang of something ugly in the blonde's chest. He swiftly shoved it down and locked it away.

"So who's the King?" Zoro snorted.

"A childish merman by the name of Portgus D. Ace." The Mershark threw another chunk of crab into his maw as Sanji let the information soak in.

"Do you use your magic charm often?" The blond rolled onto his back, his arms and legs in a starfish position.

"Only when Luffy drags me on his ridiculously dangerous adventures." Zoro pushed the empty tray away from the edge, he looked uneasy.

"Something wrong?" The chef tipped his head back to stare at Zoro with concern.

"There's a really bad storm coming." He warned, Sanji felt his gut flip. He hated storms, it sent everyone into a nervous panic.

"How bad is _bad_?" He tentievly asked, thunder rumbled in the sky outside, muffled by the wood.

"You should stay indoors." Was all Zoro said, Sanji pressed his lips together. They had went back out to sea just after Law and Bepo left the ship, they were a good few miles from any island. The door burst open and one of her crewmates, Devon Quentin, rushed in. He looked between Sanji and Zoro a few times, raising a brow at their closeness. Another crack of thunder had Devon getting straight to the point.

"This storm's gonna be a bitch. Captain called all hands on deck." Sanji spared a glance at Zoro, he looked torn.

"It's Captain's orders Marimo, I _have_ to." He sat up, but fingers wrapped around his wrist tightly to make sure he couldn't stand.

" _Zoro_..." Sanji turned to look at him, surprised when the Mershark softly bumped his forehead against Sanji's.

"Please, _please_ be careful." Zoro released his wrist and moved away from the blond, dipping down into the clear water and away from Devon's prying eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya guys! It's been awhile since I've left an authors note! This story is coming along and I'm enjoying where this is going. Thank you all so much for your comments and endless support! As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	11. The Angry Sky

Zoro wasn't wrong when he said that Sanji should stay indoors. He was drenched to the bone, his hair and clothes clinging to his warm skin. The water was cold, the massive waves man-handling anyone on deck dangerously close to the rails. Everyone was on deck, tying things down and securing the sails to reduce any damage, even Oscar. The kid had to be grabbed many times to avoid going overboard, Sanji was the only one able to stay on his feet as the monstrous waves crashed into him.

He gripped the rope as water crashed against him, the salt making his eyes sting. He blinked through it and peered out at the dark sea, his eyes widening when he spotted a flash of red. He couldn't let go of the rope to rub his eyes, but he could have sworn that was a crimson colored mermaid tail. Oscar stumbled by and Sanji threw an arm out to grab him, his grip on the rope loosening.

It was at this vulnerable moment, that the sea decided to hit the ship with a massive wave. Sanji lost his grip on the rope and was yanked forward when Oscar was forced back. Sanji's gut smashed into the rail and his head turned just in time to see Oscar flip backwards over the railing.

"Oscar!" Sanji reached for him, the kid was absolutly terrified.

He missed.

Sanji fingers brushed over Oscar's ankle before the kid splashed down, being consumed by the dark waters below. He panicked, he knew the boy didn't have much time before he drowned. So he sprinted over to some loose rope, tied one end to the rail, and the other securely around his waist. He hopped over the wood obscuring his path and dived into the ocean without a moments hesitation, he didn't have time to be afraid. The water was freezing, he could only see when lightening lit up the angry sky above him.

He peeled his eyes open and looked around for any sign of the boy, a dark figure passed below him and Sanji stomach dropped. With all the chaos and wounds, of _course_ there would be sharks lurking about. Speaking of the underwater terrors, he turned his head to see one glide right by him, its fin brushing against his arm. He had to get out soon, they were getting curious; and sharks take bites out of potential food.

Another flash of red caught his attention, but it was gone so soon he couldn't be sure what it was. His lungs started to burn, he _had_ to surface. So he kicked his feet, moving out of the calm water and bursting from the dark waves to suck in deep breaths.

"You jumped in." Sanji flailed, his eyes bugging out as he turned to look at the boy next to him.

"Wha..." Sanji trailed off as he noticed the red scales littering the kid's face. He had brown eyes and dark hair, a noticable scar under one of his eyes and a large X scar on his exposed chest. A noticeable red tail pumped in the water below the boy. That's when Sanji noticed what he had in his arms, it was an unconscious Oscar.

"Law told me about you." Sanji's eyes moved from the merman to Ocsar a few times. The fish-boy followed his gaze.

"Oh, right. I'm Luffy by the way. Prince Monkey D. Luffy." The merman introduced, handing the living, _breathing_ boy to a relieved Sanji.

"I fought off the sharks, so you're safe to swim back to the ship." And with that, Luffy vanished beneath the waves with a flick of his tail. It was gorgeous, the scales a mix between blood and a sunset. Insidious but alluring. Sanji heaved Oscar up and took Luffy's advice, he swam back to the ship. It was difficult with the waves trying to shove him under, but he managed due to his powerful legs.

He grabbed the rope tightly when the ocean tried slamming him against the wooden side, he threw Oscar over his shoulder and began to hual the both of them up onto the deck. His hands were bleeding when he finally reached the rail, pulling himself tiredly over. Tyler was the first to notice him and rushed over, Sanji dropped to his knees and gently placed Oscar down.

"What happened?" Tyler lifted the boy into his own arms as he shouted over the rain.

"He fell overboard, I went to go get him." Sanji hollered back, Tyler looked impressed as Sanji fumbled with the knot around his waist. Tyler pulled a pocket knife and cut the rope away before escorting both Sanji and Oscar to med bay. The boy was looked at first, Dr. Raine informing the kid would have nothing but itchy eyes and a sore throat when he woke up. Greg burst in a moment later and demanded to know if the two of them were okay. The doctor looked Sanji over next, ignoring the blonde's words of protest.

In the end, he only had to disinfect and wrap his hands, he could still cook, but he had to be gentle with himself. Dr. Raine smeared a generous amount of healing goop onto his hands and bandaged them up tight, the itch and burn fading considerably. Something shiny had Sanji's gaze moving to Greg's belt, it was another one of those gold necklace's. This one was a gold-coated shark tooth, and Sanji would bet _anything_ that he knew who that belonged to. Sanji plastered on a curious face and pointed to it, Tyler and Greg looking down at leather necklace.

"What's that?" He inquired, Greg lifted it up and Sanji repressed a grin.

"Tyler found it on the Mershark when we pulled him up. Figured I'd keep it close until we decide what to do with it." Sanji nodded, this was a new obstacle, Greg keeping it near his person. They'd have to plan their next steps carefully and accordingly. He looked on the bright side, at least he now knew where it was.

"It's pretty." Sanji shrugged, he was telling the truth, it had an unearthly beauty to it. The ship tilted dangerously to the left before righting itself and Greg scowled.

"We're gonna have to backtrack to the island, this storm is really kicking our ass." Greg whined, very un-Capitan like. It made Sanji chuckle, he could be such a child at times.

"Take the rest of the evening off Sanji. Go get some warm clothes on and rest up a bit." Well, Sanji wasn't opposed to that at _all_. Not that he'd be in his chambers, he'd rather stick with Zoro and wait the storm out with him.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Sanji pushed off the examination table and rushed off to go put on his softest clothes and mozy on over to the tank for a visit.


	12. Magic Charm

Sanji pushed the door open and found Zoro was staring at him from the platform. His chin resting on his folded arms, his eye lit up and his head rose.

"Took you long enough curly." His eye lingered on Sanji's bandaged hands as the blond clambered up.

"I met Luffy." Sanji's eyes widened, it had just slipped out. Zoro's whole body seemed to vibrate with giddiness.

"Really!? How is he!? What did he say!?" Zoro excitedly grabbed Sanji's exposed ankle, the blond pinching the Mershark's thumb so he would let go. The Marimo only gave him a dirty look, sticking close as Sanji rolled up his flannel pants and dipped his feet into the tank.

"Oscar went over the rail and I dived in after him. There were sharks _everywhere_ , I thought I'd have to get out. I surfaced and he was just... _there_ , floating next to me with Oscar in his arms. He introduced himself, told me it was safe, and disappeared." Zoro chuckled, shaking his head.

"That sounds like him. Is the runt okay? What happened to your hands?" Sanji sighed as he peered down at his wrapped fingers.

"Oscar is fine. Might hate water for the rest of his life though." Sanji shrugged, Zoro nodded but continued to stare a hole into the side of the blonde's head.

"I had tied a rope around my waist so I could get back to the ship. Oscar was out cold so I used the rope to pull us both up, it was slippery." The chef explained simply, moving his feet around to create ripples. Zoro was quiet for a few seconds.

"You always manage to get hurt when you leave me." Sanji's brows scrunched as he glanced down at a very serious Zoro. He didn't really know what to say, so he blurted the first thing that came to mind.

"Good thing I found your magic charm then, isn't it?" Zoro's brooding expression melted into surprise, then joy.

"Where is it?" He pressed, moving even closer to the blond. His side pressing against Sanji's leg as Zoro lean closer into the chef's personal space, Sanji found it odd how he didn't find any spark of irritation or annoyance from the action.

"Greg has it and I know exactly how I'm gonna get it." Zoro smirked, they were leaving. _Together_.

"When I get my amulet back I'm going to bother you until you try to kill me. You won't get hurt if I can help it." Sanji knew he was serious, but he couldn't deal with these types of conversations.

"Careful Marimo, that sounded awfully close to a love confession." Sanji snorted and Zoro rolled his eye. Playfully pushing the chef's shoulder with a half-hearted scowl.

"It's the least I could do for you. I still can't believe you only want to go to the All Blue. It's-" Sanji cut him off with a harsh look.

"Hey, _no_ spoilers. But if you want to declare your loyalty as my personal bodyguard, I won't stop you." Sanji waved a hand at the glaring Mershark, who grabbed the pale limb.

"I'm serious. I'll stand beside you." Sanji swallowed the sudden lump in his throat.

"What about Luffy?" Zoro's reply was given in a heartbeat.

"He'll understand." Sanji's shoulders slumped in defeat, there was no talking him out of his ridiculous, but no less appealing, plan.

"Okay. _Fine_ , puppy guard me if it makes you feel like you're repaying me." Zoro pouted, freeing Sanji's hand from his gentle grasp.

"That's only part of it." He muttered, sounding frustrated. Sanji was about to ask what he meant, but the door opened and Tyler walked in with two steaming mugs of soup.

"Hi Sanji, figured I'd bring you something. I noticed you've been skipping out on meals lately." Zoro gave Sanji a dull look and the blond chuckled sheepishly, he didn't expect to be caught. He had too much to prepare in so little time that he just found himself eating _less_.

"Must've slipped my mind..." Tyler handed the mugs up to Sanji then climbed up himself. He flopped down next to the blond, taking his cup back. Sanji took a tentive sip, the slightly spicy flavor waking his tastebuds. It was a vegetable soup and tasted heavenly. He slurped it down, watching Tyler as he and Zoro kept having random staring contests. Sanji found it amusing, Tyler would somehow catch Zoro's gaze and they'd just...hold eye contact until Tyler broke it to take a drink of his soup; then the process started over again. When both he and Tyler had finished, he stood and helped Sanji up.

"I'll escort you back to your chambers." Tyler left no room for argument as he headed down the ladder. Being reminded of his comfortable bed had the chef yawning in anticipation.

"Sure. Night Marimo." Sanji waved to the eerily silent Mershark before being herded out the room by a warm hand on his lower back. As offered, Tyler walked Sanji to his room and pat his shoulder with a smile and a soft 'goodnight' before he was walking off. Sanji stepped in and closed the door behind himself, making sure to lock it in case Bennett decided to try anything funny. He pulled off his clothes to snuggle into his coziest pajamas and laid down, it only took him mere moments before he was relaxing into a deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sincerest apologies that this chapter is short and took so long to finish, I was at a minor writers block when trying to figure out how to get this story in the direction I want it to go. Huge thank you to my fans and followers for giving me lots of love and enjoying my writing! As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	13. Courting Behavior

The blond was up bright and early the next day; at around four in the morning, he sleepily sat up, his internal clock informing him it was time to get ready for the day. He peered out his small, circular window to see they had docked back at the island they had just left not a day before. He stepped back to grab a quick change of clothes and a towel before heading to the bathhouse to take a soothing shower.

He left his room unlocked for his return, navigating through the halls to the sliding door. He pulled it open a bit and peeked in, there was no one there so he boldly stepped in and clicked the lock behind him. He tugged off his shirt before starting the shower, fiddling with the knobs to make the water the perfect temperature. Shedding his pants and boxers next, he stepped under the warm spray and sighed at the comfortable heat.

The pressure of the water droplets soothing tension he didn't even know he had, he stood there until the water began to cool. He switched off the knobs and stepped out to wrap a fluffy towel around his waist and scrubbed his head with the other, his blond locks wetly sticking to his forehead.

He unlocked the door and waltzed back to his room, pausing when he noticed the door was slightly ajar. He distinctly remembered closing it when he left, his body slipped into a defensive position as he reached out a hand to nudge the door open. He was met with his empty room, nothing was out of place but that didn't help him relax. He felt a little exposed with only a towel around his hips but what could he do? His _clothes_ were _in_ his room.

He checked the closet, under his bed, and basically any cubbyhole where a person could hide. He stepped past his desk, freezing up when he noticed the previously cluttered space was neatly organized. His eyebrows shot up when he spotted a thick, worn book smack dab in the canter of his cleaned desk. He edged closer and saw a slip of paper trapped under the corner of the book, he snatched the paper up to turn over in his hands. The swirly, cursive handwriting threw him off, but since it had his name on it, he opened it and quickly scanned his eyes over the note.

_Sanji-ya,_

_It has been brought to my attention by his highness that you know nothing of our culture, so I was informed to give you a book that would educate you on such matters. If you have any questions, be sure to ask Zoro, or myself at our scheduled meeting_ _._

_Have a pleasant day,_

_Trafalgar D. Water Law_

Sanji blinked a few times before excitedly plucking up the book, he flipped it open to a random page and was about to read when he noticed a marker between one of the pages. He grabbed the bookmark and opened to the page, he figured if it was marked, it was important. He let his eyes sweep over the title and his face flushed red. He pressed on to read further out of curiosity, pushing the slight nervousness into the back of his mind.

** Mating and Courting Behavior **

**Hybrids mate just as people do, but depending on the species of their mate, they will stay in their hybrid form or use an amulet to take human form. When hybrids mate, they do it for life. No one will ever catch their eye again, they will focus only on their partners needs and wants. It isn't uncommon for hybrids to mate with the same gender or a different species; it is, however, rare that hybrids ever find a human to be a suitable mate. If they do find a potential mate, they will start what are called 'Courting Behaviors.'**

**When hybrids show these behaviors, it means they are interested, and the more they do these things, the stronger the urge to mate with this individual gets. Contradictory to popular belief, hybrids pick their mates, these individuals are not chosen for them. The whole process is voluntary, so if the potential mate is not interested in return, they will back off. Some examples of these behaviors are listed below:**

** Touch **

**Hybrids will want to have as much physical contact with their potential mate as possible, sometimes the contact is more subtle due to shyness or because they are unaware of how the other feels.**

Sanji stopped reading, pondering if Zoro or Law had ever showed these types of behavior to him. They are both very polite and sure, Zoro liked being close to the blond, but the most contact they shared was the occasional brush of a shoulder. But that was accidental...right? He shook his head and read on, eager to learn more.

**Touch is a huge in hybrid culture, they are very physical group. They touch to soothe and comfort, to show love, to show affection, almost everything revolves around physical contact. If a hybrid is isolated from this, they will grow depressed and turn feral. Contact is important to them, so be sure to give it.**

The chef took a shuddering breath, pressing his lips tightly together. Zoro needed physical contact as to not go insane then? Sanji could give physical comfort, that wasn't a problem. What he was worried about was if it would come off as courting behavior? He didn't want to make Zoro uncomfortable, because it was as the book said, hybrids weren't really fond of mating with humans. The blond could understand that feeling, he had never once felt attracted to his own race.

** Food **

**This is another, more common, courting behavior. A hybrid who is courting you will bring you your favorite food or insist you eat some of their food to show they can provide for your future family.**

Sanji's knees locked up, horror washing over him. He read the information three more times, not wanting to believe what he was seeing. _He_ had given Zoro all his meals, even going as far as getting the Marimo his favorite snack, seal meat.

_He had courted Zoro first._

He did it without even realizing it, he felt horrible. Did Zoro understand it was an accident? The little voice in the back of his mind whispered something about being Zoro's mate, but he violently stomped those thoughts down. He had to think. Would he bring it up to Zoro? _Could_ he? What if Zoro _did_ think the blond was courting him? Sanji's head started to hurt, so he stopped to focus on taking deep breaths. He chose to read on and come back to the subject later.

**Aggressiveness**

**Hybrids are very protective over what they consider theirs. Shark hybrids are the worst of the bunch due to their shark-like tendencies. They will show signs of aggression through harsh sounds and thrashing their tail (if they have one). Going as far as shielding their mate with their own body from what they consider a threat. If the other(s) do(es) not back down or submit, the hybrid will either attack or take their mate to safety. Shark hybrids are more likely to do the first unless there is a large group threatening their mate, and even then, they almost always hunt the group down and cause a bloodbath.**

Sanji shivered, Zoro was a shark hybrid; but it would finally explain his behavior toward Bennett and Tyler. He took them as threats to Sanji's person, he agreed that Bennett was; but Tyler really didn't mean any harm, it wasn't his fault he had an intimidating aura.

It was like the more he read, the more he noticed the little things Zoro did. The touching, the soothing rumble that came from his chest when Sanji spoke to him, the protectiveness. It all sort of made sense now. So, he'd accidentally started the courting and now Zoro was returning the actions to show he was also interested. The revelation brought butterflies to his stomach, he didn't know whether to be worried or happy that Zoro wanted him.

Sanji wanted to know more about Zoro's specific hybrid, so he quickly looked at the Table of Contents before flipping to the page. He grabbed a random piece of paper off his desk and book-marked the chapter to read later. He let himself turn back to his original page and find where he left off.

**Physical Harm**

**This is a point I want to stress, if a hybrid's mate is hurt, they will go into instinct mode. The only one who doesn't have to fear them in this state is their partner or potential mate, their instincts will scream at them to kill whoever harmed their mate. It is very difficult to snap them out of this state unless they already have a method to calm themselves down.**

**I strongly advise mates of hybrids to keep themselves from harms way or your hybrid might sink deeper into their feral side, causing them to be unstable and snap faster. They basically turn into a ticking time bomb. They will feel it is their fault that their mate got hurt, especially if they weren't even there when the injury occurred. Chances are, they will hover and refuse to leave their partners side until their instincts are under control. It is very important that their mate lets them do this, it is for the hybrids mental safety.**

This brought the conversation from yesterday back and Sanji almost wanted to kick himself, all the signs were there, he just didn't know what he was supposed to be looking for. A knock at the door had him jumping up, realizing a second later, he was still only covered by a towel.

"You awake Sanji?" Tyler's muffled voice came through the door as the knob started to turn. The blond panicked and shouted the first thing that popped into his head, just like yesterday.

"Wait! I showered, let me get dressed!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made this chapter longer because the last one was so short, I hope you enjoyed having things explained to you. If you guy's have any questions feel free to ask and I will answer to the best of my ability. As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	14. A Silver Gaze

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Try and keep in mind that I don't normally edit these before posting them, so I apologize for any spelling and grammar mistakes you have or will come across. As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!

Tyler walked with him to the galley, they were the only ones awake so far. Sanji had hidden the book in his pillowcase, he didn't know why, but he hid it. He felt like it was his responsibility to keep the book out of the wrong hands and he figured it was the best course of action to listen this gut feeling. He whipped up some waffles with sausage and fruit salad for breakfast. He then moved to prepare Zoro's breakfast, startling and almost cutting himself when Tyler placed a plate of food onto the tray next to the Marimo's meal.

"Shark-man told me to make sure you eat, so I figured he could do it himself." Tyler had a knowing twinkle in his eye and Sanji brandished the knife in his hand at the man in a threatening manner. Tyler whipped up his hands, a full-blown smirk stretching onto his lips and Sanji's cheeks heated up.

"Fuck you. Don't breathe a word of this to anyone." The blond growled, he didn't really understand why he was so protective over his relationship with Zoro. It was probably because he now knew there was something _deeper_ to it than just gratitude. Tyler actually looked offended and dropped his arms to cross over his massive chest.

"You wound me Sanji. I would never do anything that would betray your trust." He scowled and guilt hit the chef hard, he didn't mean to make Tyler upset. He turned back to the salmon with a frown.

"I know Ty...sorry." He grumbled, he could feel the tension leave as fast as it came. He yelped when hands wrapped around his waist to lift him off the ground, squeezing him into a hug. The blond carefully tossed the sharp knife onto the cutting board with a disapproving frown, leave it to Tyler to almost cause Sanji to stab himself...twice.

"Awe, thanks buddy!" Tyler burst into laughter at the deadpan expression Sanji gave him, placing the chef back on his feet. Ruffling his blond locks playfully before snatching up a loaded plate and hurrying into the dining room before Sanji could stab him. The blond threw up his middle finger in the direction Tyler disappeared before going back to preparing the fish for consumption. 

*

When he was finished, he nervously made his way down to the tank with both plates. He nudged the door open carefully and leaned in, Zoro was at the bottom to the tank. Sanji smiled when he noticed the Marimo was inspecting the small rocks that now made up the ground with disdain. Sanji knew he was uncomfortable with being spotted easily, his deep green tail made to blend with the murky habitat he was used to. Sanji actually snuck up on him and lightly kicked the glass since his hands were full, Zoro flinched. Turning to give him a heated glare that melted into only slight irritation when he saw it was Sanji, the blond gave him a cheeky grin before climbing onto the platform. 

He pulled off his dress shoes and socks, rolling up his pant legs to dip his feet into the cool water. He slid Zoro's tray closer to him when the Mershark surfaced, but he didn't touch it. He peered at the plate of food in Sanji's hands, then that gray eye flickered to his face in a clear _'start eating'_ look. The chef sighed but plucked up his fork to stab a strawberry, wondering if this was another courting behavior. 

Zoro just watched him eat a few bites before he dug into his own food with the manners of a...well, _shark_. Sanji moved onto his two fluffy waffles next, they were cinnamon flavored. He munched them down, occasionally pausing to take a bite of the hickory-smoked sausage. He was so engrossed with his thoughts he didn't notice that Zoro was close until his arm flopped down across the blonde's legs, the Marimo's chin resting next to his arm.

"I'm bored." Sanji blinked, he was beginning to think Zoro would never stop surprising him. Having Zoro's green fluff so close, it was hard for the blond to repress the urge to touch it. He pondered why the Marimo's hair always seemed so soft even when it was wet as he placed his empty plate aside and tilted his head in thought.

"Want me to swim around with you?" The question just slipped out; making Zoro look up at him, eyes wide.

"Really?" The blond nodded, he could always go to his room and grab a pair of shorts-

"Okay." Zoro's arms wrapped securely around his waist and dragged him down into the waves, both of them immediately submerging due to gravity. Sanji held what little breath he had as Zoro released him, the blond went toward the surface and popped up to suck in deep pulls of wonderful air. Zoro sliding up next to him with a mischievous eye, it almost seemed to be a sparkling silver color. Sanji's own glower faded, he tried to stay mad, but he found he couldn't.

"You're an ass." He snipped without any actual venom, this seemed to please Zoro if the grin that stretched onto his lips was any indication.

"You could at least _try_ to look sorry." Sanji grumbled and Zoro laughed, the blond had to stop and listen to the glorious sound. It made his chest warm and his own laughter bubble up and out.

"But I'm not sorry." He snottily replied and Sanji flicked water at his smug face. The blond swam over to the platform to shed his sopping-wet jacket, keeping his dress-shirt on. A clawed hand wrapped around his ankle and gently pulled him away from the wood when he finished the task.

"I'm not going anywhere Marimo." Sanji snickered at the kicked-puppy look on his face. The chef took a deep breath and dipped under, swimming down until he reached the bottom. He turned to see Zoro was right behind him, watching him with a sharp-toothed grin that wasn't unnerving in the least.

*

He had no idea how long he was in the water until he heard someone tap on the glass, he looked over and his eyes narrowed when he saw Bennett's smirking face. The blond pushed off the floor and broke through the surface to eye the bastard warily as he climbed up the ladder and stared down at the blond with malicious eyes.

"Fancy seeing you here." He quipped, his voice light. Sanji knew better than to trust the friendly mask that was hiding the true monster underneath.

"What do you want?" Sanji rolled his eyes, trying to seem unaffected by the dark energy that rolled off the asshole in waves.

"Just figured I'd come say hello to the fish, but turns out you're here too. _Shocking_." Sanji's eyes narrowed at Bennett as Zoro surfaced next to him, looking murderous.

"I'm always here, as far away from _you_ as possible." The blond snapped, Bennett's grin only widened.

"Well then, I'll have you know Captain sent me to fetch you. He finally made a decision." Sanji had a hard time swallowing when his mouth suddenly went as dry as a desert.

"Fine." He hissed, treading forward to pull himself up onto the platform. A hand reached down and curled into the back of his dress pants, purposely brushing against the bare skin of his back when his shirt slid up. He repressed the urge to vomit as he stood, brushing off Bennett's disgusting hands. 

He squatted down to pick up his shoes, socks, and drenched jacket. Thrusting the empty tray and plate at Bennett so his hands would be occupied, the last thing he wanted Zoro to see what just how bad Bennett treated Sanji. Like he wasn't even a person, like he was just another conquest to bed. He hated it, hated _him_. He marched out of the room, not risking a look back since Bennett was following him.

Only two more days, then he and Zoro would be leaving.

 


	15. Days Away

Sanji sent Bennett away to go put the dishes in the sink as he changed into dry clothes. He didn't wait for the asshole to come back, making his way to Greg's office. He respectfully knocked and opened the door when a muffled _'come in'_ was heard. Dr. Raine and Tyler were already standing about, obviously waiting for him. Bennett waltzed in seconds later and locked the door behind them, the four people turning their attention to their captain.

"I decided to let him go." Sanji blinked in shock and Bennett tensed up.

"But sir, imagine how much it is worth! We would be set for life-" Greg held up a hand to silence the obviously-upset Bennett, who stopped talking with a huff.

"With what I witnessed," His wise, aged eyes flickered over to a fidgeting Sanji. "It would be too dangerous to sell him off, plus selling off a living thing that has feelings and opinions wouldn't sit well on my conscious. Any problems with my decision?" No one spoke up, but Tyler was staring at Sanji from the corner of his eye. His mouth was quirked up into a small smile as he observed the bouncing blond, Sanji was happy with Greg's choice.

"Great, you are dismissed. Sanji, I need to speak to you for a moment." Tyler pat his shoulder in reassurance as he passed, Dr. Raine giving the blond a soft smile as she gripped Bennett's upper arm to drag him from the room. The door shut and they were alone, Sanji was slightly nervous when he noticed Greg's face was oddly guarded.

"You're going to leave with him, yes?" Sanji looked away, ashamed. He felt like an ass, Greg had treated him so well after he and Zeff were saved from that fucking rock. He had stayed with Zeff for a few months longer, but he didn't feel like he _belonged_. That's when Greg stopped by and offered him a position on his ship, Sanji took it and thanked Zeff for everything. He had wiped his tears when Zeff told him to _'get the fuck off his ship'_ but there had been a strain to his voice as his childhood idol turned to walk away. Sanji had never felt so loved by anyone in that moment, his absence would be hard on Zeff too.

"Yes..." Sanji forced out after a tense minute of silence.

"I'm not going to stop you kid. Just tell me it's what you really want?" Sanji paused at that. Was it what he wanted? To leave with Zoro and meet his friends, explore his world, _and_ get a personal transport to the All Blue? He decided that, _yes_ , it was what he wanted. So he nodded and Greg sighed in understanding.

"Okay, I'm guessing you know more about this than me...but he does need his necklace back right?" The blond nodded again, peeking up from his shoes to see Greg's proud eyes.

"Just make sure you come visit this old man." His voice was soft and Sanji stepped closer, a small smile on his lips.

"I'll have to, you can't seem to figure out how to take care of yourself." Faster than Sanji thought him capable of, he raced into Sanji's arms and gripped the chef tight. Neither moved for a long time.

"You should tell Tyler and Oscar." Sanji grimaced, he'd forgotten about what their inevitable reactions would be. They would be upset, Oscar would burst into tears and Tyler would turn away to hide the hurt. But he couldn't just up and vanish on them, he had to let his closest friends know.

"I'll give you the necklace tomorrow, when we sail. Then the two of you can leave under the cover of night. Will you need help transporting Zoro?" Sanji shook his head no, if he had his magic charm, he could walk his ass off the boat himself.

"Okay, make me some of pork chops for lunch and I'll exchange that for the necklace." Sanji raised an eyebrow but agreed as they pulled away from each other.

"Thank you Greg. This means so much to me." Sanji squeezed his hands and then let go, turning to go chill in his room and read some more before he had to start on lunch. He'd tell Zoro about Greg's decision when they were finished eating. He looked around his room and pondered what he would take with him, he would get zip-lock bags to keep the stuff dry. He dug in his closet for a small-ish shoulder bag that latched securely shut and peered around his room. The first two things he grabbed were his photos, the first was of him and Zeff showing off the first dish they successfully made together. Usually they both did their own thing because they argued and fought too much to work with one another, but they had somehow managed. The second was one of him, Greg, Tyler, and Oscar. They were at the galley table playing a particularly hardcore game of Go Fish, Dr. Raine had snapped the photo and he demanded she give him a copy. She happily let him have the original, he gently placed the two pictures into the bag to waterproof later. He moved over to his bed and pulled out the worn book Law had gifted him and flipped to the page he had book-marked earlier. It was a whole chapter dedicated to just Shark Hybrids.

** Shark **

**These hybrids are the hardest to predict and understand since they are all so different, this makes it hard to pick up similar patterns they might share. Their shark tendencies make them a tad easier to research since sharks are already being studied. Sharks tend to steer clear of their Hybrid brethren, due to them being the better predator. Shark hybrids also tend to be territorial and are natural-born loners. Preferring to travel alone, but if they do decide to either travel with others, or settle down somewhere, they will be your lifelong friend. They tend to be fiercely loyal to anyone they deem worthy of their strength; shark hybrids are mother natures soldiers, they are often used in territory wars due to the instinct and raw power they possess. If someone manages to befriend or, god forbid, mate with one of these hybrids, they will have a dedicated beast at their beckoning call. These fantastic creatures put their partners above all else, especially themselves.**

Sanji flopped back into his pillows and let the open book rest on his chest, so shark hybrids were hard to come by? The blond found himself even more happy that he managed to get one to think he was a potential mate, not to mention one as amazing as Zoro.

**This strong of a bond makes them mating with the wrong person devastatingly dangerous, their instincts are so strong they will even kill if their mate asks it of them. They don't die easily either, they can and** ** _will_** **cause serious damage if sent out with killing intent. Which is why they don't mate often, unless it is to bump up their species population; and even then, it's not even proper mating, it's just reproducing with a female or male shark hybrid to make more of their kind. A new level and meaning to the phrase 'no strings attached.'**

The chef peeked over at his clock and stood, it was time to head to the galley and mull over the new information he was given. He had so much to learn, so much to find out.


	16. Freedom Is In the Palm of Your Hand

"Really? He's just gonna let us go?" Zoro asked skeptically as Sanji chewed his pasta thoughtfully.

"Of course he would, I trust him." The Mershark nodded, taking Sanji's words without any complaint. That was another thing the blond had been noticing lately, Zoro didn't seem to like disagreeing with Sanji. They continued munching in silence, Sanji sneaking glances at Zoro only to find the Marimo was already looking at him. He wanted to test and see if what he read was true, but the little voice of reason in the dark corner of his mind whispered doubts to him. It was those thoughts that caused him to hesitate, he hadn't even told Zoro he had the book in the first place. Sanji was seeing Zoro in a completely different light now that he knew what the Marimo's actions actually meant.

"So I say we wait for Law, then we can leave with him." Zoro hummed in agreement, stuffing more fish into his face. Sanji suddenly had a truly stupid, idiotic, suicidal idea. He shifted and poked at his noodles, he really wanted to ask but didn't want to upset Zoro.

"Spit it out cook." Zoro nudged Sanji's leg with his elbow, the verbal 'go ahead' giving Sanji's bravery a boost.

"Uh...you can say no if you want, but I was wondering if I could get a closer look at your tail?" Zoro just stared at him for a moment, a sharp nod of his green head was his reply. He wiggled, swimming down a bit to get his massive tail out of the water. The color was brighter under the artificial light, lighter highlights running along the tail with no specific pattern. Sanji realized with a pit in his stomach that they were scars. He traced the jagged lines all the way to the large scar diagonally across the Marimo's chest; all his past wounds looked messy, like they were self stitched. A particularly grisly scar on the flesh near his tail fin had unease pooling in his gut.

"Where'd this one come from?" Sanji asked softly, his fingers hovering over the mark. His eyes glanced up at Zoro, his expression was tight. He was nervous, but he let Sanji see his tail anyway.

"Had a run-in with some shark poachers, they hauled me up and tried cutting my fins off...it didn't end well for them." The chef's imagination ran wild, thinking up the worst that could've happened. His mind unhelpfully supplying Sanji with the image of Zoro sinking down into the depths, his fins missing and blood filling the water around his tan body. Would other sharks eat him? His stomach lurched and he curled his hands so his blunt nails would dig into his palms. He was trying to remind himself that it _didn't_ happen, that Zoro was in front of him and just _fine_. Hands grasping his face had his eyes snapping open, leaving him pondering when they had closed.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm right here Sanji. It happened a long time ago, it's alright." The chef sucked in a shuddering breath, letting himself push into the warm hands cupping his face. The visions of a fin-less Zoro fading like a bad nightmare.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you that." He mumbled, Sanji shook his head and placed his own aching hands over Zoro's.

"No, I'm glad you did. It...just made me panic a bit." He smiled warmly at the creature in front of him, Zoro was truly a glorious beast. He slowly pulled his hands back and tilted his head down to look at the waves, his tail floating next to him.

"You...You can touch my tail, if you want." Zoro whispered and Sanji nodded, reaching out to brush his fingers across where his dorsal fin blended onto his tail. The pure muscle beneath his searching hand jumped and twitched, his five digits sliding further. The skin was smooth but with a slightly sandy texture, the scarred skin felt tough and misshapen. Sanji could care less though, Sanji found all of Zoro breathtaking.

"Wow, it's amazing." Sanji pulled his hand back to beam at Zoro, who looked slightly flustered by the compliment.

"Whatever cook." He brushed it off, something else Sanji noticed he did: an the asshole had the nerve to tell him his food was delicious every time Sanji brought him something to eat. Even though Sanji had told him before that he just picked it out and cut it up, it was nothing special. Sanji stood up with their empty plates, causing Zoro to go into his pouting mood. He knew that meant Sanji was leaving, and apparently he didn't like that either. Sanji found it was hard to leave Zoro too, especially since he knew how upset Bennett was over not selling Zoro for millions.

"I'll see you at dinnertime Marimo." Sanji assured and hopped off the platform to head upstairs. He deposited the dishes into the sink to wash later then headed onto deck for some much-needed fresh air. His head was muddled with thoughts, they had obviously shared an intimate moment there, Zoro didn't peg him as the person to just let anyone touch his tail. He lit up a cigarette and leaned against the rail, staring out over the gentle waves.

"Weigh the anchor!" Sanji's back straightened as the sails unfurled and the ship started to move. They were heading back out to sea, not a dark cloud in sight. Sanji turned to quickly stub out his cancer stick and relocate to the galley, deciding to make meat lasagna for dinner.

*

By the time dinner was over, Sanji was exhausted. He had Oscar go give Zoro with a note he wrote telling the idiot to eat. The kid had come back with an empty plate and a smile as he relayed Zoro's message of 'your turn' to the chef. Sanji snorted, but cut himself a small square of the dish to eat as he walked around refilling people's glass'. After everyone had left, the blond had started on dishes, he had been extremely grateful that Bennett had skipped dinner that night. Up to his elbows in soapy water, Sanji scrubbed the lasagna pan. He was eager to go to bed, a bone-deep exhaustion settling over him now that he knew Greg was okay with him leaving. He'd tell Tyler and Oscar about his plan to leave tomorrow. He put the pan onto a rack to air-dry and groggily shuffled through the dark halls to his room. As soon as the door was shut and locked, he stripped down to his boxers and tugged on a pair of soft sweatpants, forgoing a shirt. The chef tiredly flopped onto the bed and Sanji was out seconds after his head hit the pillow.


	17. Testing A Theory

Sanji blinked awake to the insistent tapping at his door, his eyes were still heavy with sleep when he rolled over to ignore whoever it was.

"Go away!" The snottily groaned demand sounded like gibberish, but it also informed the person at the door that the blond was responsive.

"Oi! Sanji! It's already almost lunch, and Zoro keeps asking if you've eaten yet." Sanji groggily sat up, throwing his covers off to stalk to the door and fling it open with an exhausted glare. Oscar's face heated up as Sanji stalked past in only low-hanging sweatpants that looked like they'd fall any second. The boy scrambled to catch up to the marching blond, the man was on a mission all right. Tyler choked on his coffee when Sanji stomped in and immediately went to the fridge to pull out an already-prepared tray of cut fish, Oscar just shrugged his shoulders when Tyler raised an eyebrow. Sanji angrily muttered to himself as he hurried back out of the kitchen, Oscar and Tyler following behind. Tyler smirked in amusement when Sanji impatiently kicked the door open and strut into the room in all his half-naked glory, the look on Zoro face was priceless and Tyler couldn't help but wish he had a camera to capture the humorous moment. The Mershark's ears tinted pink and he quickly submerged himself under the water.

"No you don't, get your leathery ass up here!" Sanji growled, swiftly climbing the ladder to haphazardly toss the tray down and kick at the cool water. The cold liquid on his bare feet drew him further from his tired daze of rage, Zoro's face peered up at him from under the calmly lapping waves. Sanji couldn't make out his expression, but his own face blew up in flames when he caught his own disheveled reflection in the water.

"Fuck me." He hissed and Oscar made a strangled sound while Tyler burst out laughing. Sanji startled, he hadn't even noticed he had any company. He turned so quick his wet foot slipped and he tumbled off the platform to land on the unforgiving wood floor, his ass and back flared up in pain and he threw an arm over his eyes. The chef's lips were tight with embarrassment, moments later, a warm and questioning hand touched the sensitive skin right under his armpit. It caused a shiver to ripple down his form that had nothing to do with the chilled air, he let his arm be moved and stared up at Tyler. He looked torn between amused and concerned for his hopelessly flustered friend.

"I'm fine. My dignity just took a pretty hard hit is all." The blond muttered, letting Tyler help him sit up. The only problem with this course of action was the fact Tyler had wrapped a hand around his back to press down on his side, right on that patch of nerves that sent ripples of pleasure through his body. He opened his mouth to tell Tyler to let go when the man suddenly tightened his grip and pulled Sanji to his feet, the blond snapped his jaw shut to avoid any ridiculous sounds he might make. His knees wobbled, so Tyler didn't let go even after Sanji was already on his admittedly, unsteady feet. He licked his lips in a nervous habit, he was craving a cigarette right about now.

"You're shaking all over, are you sure you're alright?" Oscar quipped and Sanji stiffened, if even the kid was noticing that could only mean Tyler and Zoro could too...

"Ty..." The blond cursed how raspy his voice was, peering up at his friend with miserable eyes. He didn't even want to look at Zoro, he could probably _smell_ Sanji's arousal, much to the chef's displeasure. He snuck a side glance at the Marimo anyway as Tyler immediately let go and gave the chef his much-needed space.

To say Zoro looked furious would be an understatement, Sanji's eyes widened when he noticed the Marimo's eye was that unnerving black and his sharp teeth were bared. The chef felt wariness wash over him when he noticed that the Mershark's stare was directed at Tyler, the book said that hybrids would never harm their potential mate. The blond shifted a bit, wondering if he was dumb enough to risk injury. When he decided it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, he lightly smacked Tyler's arm to get his attention.

"I'm going to try something stupid." Tyler's eyes went wide, but he nodded as Sanji moved toward the glass. Zoro was basically pressed against it, making little chirping noises with each step closer the blond took.

"Grab Oscar and leave for a minute or two, I wanna test a theory." Tyler had already caught onto what Sanji wanted to do and scooped Oscar up before he could protest and left the room, shutting the door behind him. Sanji's stomach did weird flips as he reached out a hand to push against the glass, Zoro immediately going into what Sanji could only call a _frenzy_. His clawed hand slapped against the glass right over Sanji's and a deep snarl ripped from his chest when he realized he couldn't actually get a hold of the blond. Sanji slid his hand across the glass as he shuffled over toward the ladder, Zoro following his hand with cooing noises that Sanji found broke his heart. Maybe the book had been right...maybe Zoro _was_ courting him? It's not like Sanji could refuse either since he had technically started it, voluntary or not. Zoro actually saw Sanji as a potential mate and the chef didn't really know what to do with that information. It's not like it wouldn't work out either, Zoro had a magic charm that allowed him to take on a more human appearance. It definitely would explain his behavior toward the blond too; this...beast in front of him was Zoro's barest self, and all he wanted to do was get to Sanji. Nothing more. That spoke volumes to the chef, it also explained why Zoro didn't attack him when he was bleeding everywhere.

He'd have to thank Law for the book, after he'd given the asshole a good kick of course.


	18. Last Meal

Sanji clambered up the ladder and Zoro surfaced, his hands clawing at the platform to pull himself up. Sanji didn't even hesitate to rush forward, the awkward moment of arousal gone, replaced with the urge to calm the frantic Mershark down.

"Hey. _Hey_. It's okay, I'm fine...see?" He let Zoro's hands latch onto him, the Marimo was making frustrated huffs and snorts when he found Sanji wouldn't let him all the way out of the water. Sanji brushed his free hand into Zoro's silky head of hair, the Marimo making that strange rumbling sound again. It was close to a cat's purr, but deeper and more bubbly. It was soothing though and Sanji felt his own unease drift away, his raging mind calming.

"We're alright, nothing bad happened. It was just a misunderstanding." Sanji soothed, Zoro peering up at him with that black film over his eye and making questioning chirping noises at him. He yelped as he was dragged into the water, involuntarily gulping down the salty water. Zoro yanked him up a second later and made an apologetic grumble as Sanji hacked up a lung. The blond thought his heart would stop when the Marimo's hands feverishly rubbed over Sanji's arms, up to his shoulders, and down his chest. The chef's brows furrowed when Zoro suddenly leaned forward to press his face into the crook of Sanji's neck. The blond made a very high-pitched noise he would deny making if anyone ever asked when he felt a slimy tongue run up his neck to his chin.

"Oi! That felt weird!" His voice was an octave or so higher than usual and his face flushed red. His body was growing hot as Zoro ignored his weak protests to nip at his creamy skin, the Mershark was careful not to break skin. Sanji wiggled and Zoro hissed, his hands gripped the blonde's upper arms tightly. It was a clear signal not to move., so the chef relaxed himself. Not quite managing it as Zoro's hands slid over his skin to grope at his chest.

"O-Oi, Marimo...knock it o-off." Sanji choked out, Zoro's head tilted and he stared at the blond with that black eye of his. A clicking noise slipped past his lips, it was a questioning sound.

"Calm down, don't manhandle me." The Mershark blinked a few times, his eyes switching from gray to black before finally settling on that beautiful mix of silvers and white that he loved so much. He made a strained noise and pulled his hands away from Sanji's chest to wrap around his mid-section.

"Sanji?" His voice was horse, his eyes darting around to assess threats. He found none but pulled the blond closer anyway, nuzzling his nose into the soft golden locks.

"I'm sorry." Zoro sounded so vulnerable, so ashamed.

"If I didn't want you to touch me, I would have kicked your ass." Sanji scoffed, turning in the Marimo's hold so they were facing each other.

"Sanji...I want you to be my mate." The Mershark avoided eye-contact, looking very much like a teen asking their crush to prom. Sanji laughed and Zoro growled, his face settling into a scowl.

"You'll have to teach me the ropes, but with the book Law gave me...I think I got the basics." Zoro paused, his head tilting in a way that showed he didn't understand something.

"Law gave you a book?" The chef nodded, running a hand into Zoro's spiky hair.

"So I know what being a mate means, and my answer is yes." The Marimo's grin was so bright Sanji had to repress the sudden urge to shield his eyes.

"Really? I promise you won't regret it." Zoro vowed, his smile dropping into a very serious expression. The chef could do nothing but nod, this made the smile bleed back onto the Marimo's beautiful face.

"This is wonderful! I can't wait to show you off to everyone!" Sanji blushed and playfully shoved at Zoro's face.

"Shut up you hopeless romantic." The blond snickered, Zoro only snapped his teeth at Sanji's hands with a smirk.

"Alright, you eat your lunch. I gotta make Greg some pork chops in exchange for your necklace." Zoro raised an eyebrow and Sanji waved him off.

"He's weird like that, don't question it." The chef dragged his drenched self from the water and pushed the tray over toward Zoro with a stern look before leaving. He stopped by his room to change out of his drenched pants into comfortable clothes. A simple pair of jeans and a burgundy colored tank-top and his only pair of combat boots. He didn't bother with his hair and hurried to the galley to grill up some meat for a late lunch.

*

"Thanks Sanji, I really appreciate you making one last meal before ya run off." Greg set the necklace down onto the desk in front of the blond before cutting into his meal. He popped a slice of pork chop into his mouth as Sanji scooped up the shark-tooth amulet, he then sat down in the seat across from Greg. The captain looked up, as if shocked that the blond was staying.

"Anything I can do for ya kid?" Sanji smiled at Greg warmly, his eyes a twinkling blue that the old man found he would miss for the rest of his days.

"Let me sit for a bit, yeah?" Greg nodded before taking a large scoop of mashed potatoes, they sat in comfortable silence for a minute or two.

"I think I like Zoro." The old man had to swallow the mouthful of meat and gravy to avoid choking. 

"Huh?" Sanji snorted, leaning forward to wipe some stray mash potato off Greg's nose.

"I might be attracted to Zoro." The blond rephrased, settling back into his seat with a sheepish smile.

"But he's-he's a..."

"Mershark, yeah...I noticed." Greg flushed in embarrassment, taking a quick drink of his cold water to soothe his nerves.

"I don't know if I should tell you this...but I trust you so I will. This amulet-" He held it up so Greg could scan his eyes over it. "It has magical abilities that give Hybrids like Zoro human appearances so they can walk among humans." The old man placed his fork down as he brows furrowed.

"That scientist guy...oh, what was his name? Law! He had one too..." His eyes widened and he stared at Sanji in shock.

"He's a _'hybrid'_ too? Isn't he?" Sanji chuckled and nodded, amused by his captain's reactions. He could only imagine he looked the same way when first given the information, Greg seemed to be handling this all well as far as the blond could tell.

"Wow...that's pretty extraordinary kid. They better treat you the way you deserve." Greg gruffly muttered, shoving another bite on meat into his mouth to angrily chew on. Sanji was going to reply when a massive explosion rocked the ship, making Sanji's chair tip and Greg's plate slide. The chef pushed himself up to raise a brow at a stunned Greg.

"Were you expecting company?"


	19. Goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: There's pretty descriptive violence in this chapter, prepare for some angst. 

Greg followed the blond out of the office and onto deck. Everyone was rushing about, five crew members sprinting up to crowd the captain.

"Sir, we're being pursued by two pirate ships! They seemed to have tailed us from the island." Sanji was angry, there was only one reason they would be attacked and boarded. That reason was currently down bellow deck in a massive tank and since the pirates knew, they must have had a mole leak the information. Sanji had a pretty good idea who the snitch was too.

"Greg, I need to check on Zoro." The elder man nodded, giving quick orders to his men as Sanji darted off. He pushed his legs faster, the amulet clenched in his sweaty hand. He turned the corner and slammed into someone, a hand covered his mouth while the other clamped onto his shoulder.

"Hey, It's Tyler. Don't kick my teeth in." A soft voice hissed and Sanji looked up. Those mischievous eyes grinning down at him, a hint of unease in those chocolate brown pools. The blond shoved the hand over his mouth away and leaned to peer around Tyler's hulking frame.

"Is Zoro okay?" Sanji asked and Tyler shrugged.

"I was just heading there now when I heard voices." The chef scowled, pushing past the bigger male to creep down the hall, the door to the room wasn't closed all the way. Sanji reached out to press against the door and slowly push it open further.

"Sanji, don't!" Zoro's voice warned, but it was too late; a hand gripped his wrist to yank him into the room. He was thrown to the floor harshly, he regained his bearings quickly and turned. Tyler wasn't at the door anymore, Sanji hoped he went to go get reinforcements. His eyes scanned up the attacker to land on Bennett's smiling face, Sanji glowered at him.

"I wondered when you were going to show up... _now_ the fun can start." Thrashing water had Sanji's eyes snapping over to the tank, Zoro was as far away from the platform as possible. The five men on the platform trying to get ropes around him as he snarled. There were at least twelve guys scattered throughout the room, the blond took in their weapons and positions. He quickly plotted an attack strategy, he just had to wait for an opportunity.

Bennett stepped closer and Sanji struck out, his steel-toed boot slamming into the asshole's hip. Bennett went down with a cry that gained the other's attention, but the chef was already on his feet and moving. He flipped onto his hands to throw both feet out to crack into two guys jaws. They went down and Sanji swiftly went to the next poor soul, whipping his leg back so his heel connected with their temple.

"Behind you Cook!" Sanji ducked as the familiar whistle of metal ghosted over his back. The next swing the blond was ready, he reached out to catch the pipe and slammed the thing forward. The person's grip slipped, allowing the end of the pipe to dig into the guys gut. He dropped down in a coughing fit and Sanji knocked him out with a swift kick to the head. A stinging sensation to his arm had Sanji looking down at a long cut, it had already started to bleed.

His eyes zeroed in on the dude with a bloody hunting knife in his grasp, he had a buddy next to him. Sanji shifted his stance and pushed forward, but he was sacked to the side mid-stride. His shoulder landed painfully onto the ground, he turned his head to glare at a smug Bennett. The click of a gun had the blond freezing up, the barrel was pressed firmly against his temple.

"Shit." Sanji hissed, Bennett leaned down to lick his face and the chef shuddered.

"Now I have you _right_ where I want you-" Bennett paused, his eyes drawn to the shine of gold grasped in the blonde's hand.

"Oh...what's _this?_ " He reached down, his attention directed away from Sanji. He slammed up his heel to hit Bennett's back, unbalancing him with the force. Sanji bucked up, making Bennett slide forward. A deafening shot went off close to his ear, causing his eardrum to rupture. He grimaced but stood with a slight sway when Bennett was thrown unceremoniously to the floor. His balance was off, he already expected that, but the feeling of blood sliding from his ear slightly grossed him out. The pain was harsh, but nothing he couldn't handle.

Sanji adjusted his feet to give himself a more sturdy stance, he dipped off to the right and kicked out with both legs at another guy. He was a little to the left with his aim, but her could always alter his attack. A muffled shot was heard and pain ripped into his shoulder, he stumbled forward and slammed into a wall. He didn't hear if he made a sound, but he felt his mouth open.

Sanji turned just in time to see Greg grab hold of Bennett, Tyler beating the shit out of anyone he got his hands on. The captain and Bennett wrestled for the gun, they were yelling. Sanji couldn't hear what they were saying through the high-pitched ringing, but he could tell they were both furious.

The blond pushed off the blood-splattered wall to shuffle toward the abandoned platform. The men that were on it had left Zoro alone to join the fight. Movement caught his eye and he turned his head to look, his eye widening in horror as Bennett gained the upper hand. Greg was forced to the ground, Bennett pinning him with his own weight like he did to Sanji.

The gun was pushed between the elders eyes, Sanji was frozen on the spot as Bennett's mouth moved. He was whispering something to Greg, something that made the captain's eyes flicker over to him. Dread pooled in Sanji's gut, giving him the urge to hurl.

Sanji watched the shot go off, watched Bennett's finger tighten, watched as Greg's body jolted. His eyes watered up and fat tears dripped from his horrified eyes, his mouth dropped open and the sound that tore from him was loud, full of anguish and pain. He recalled his knees slamming onto the wood floor right then and there, the faint sounds of shouting fading out as his world dulled. His eyes trained on Greg's unmoving body, a puddle of crimson spreading around him.

Bennett stood, his knees caked in red, a smile on his lips. Sanji snapped back into reality, his face contorting with anger at Bennett directed his attention at the blond. Sanji forced himself to his feet, his watery eyes narrowing into a glare that was hotter than lava, colder than ice. The chef's hand clenched around the amulet, his expression going blank as he turned to chuck it into the tank. It sunk down before a green blur whipped by to snatch it up. Sanji turned his dull eyes back to Bennett, his face paled as tan arms pulled a lean but muscular body from the water.

The man was as naked as the day he was born, but the bloodthirsty aura rolling off him in waves gave Bennett the impression the mans nudity was the least of his worries. His tan skin was covered in scars, every inch of his body solid muscle. He dropped off the platform, water dripping off him to leave a trail of puddles. Bennett's eyes flickered from the green-haired man to Sanji in panic.

The blonde's face gave away nothing, the drenched guy snatched a dead person's pair of pants to pull on. Sanji lifted his hand to point a single, nimble digit at Bennett's shaking frame. The words that came out the mouth that once smiled were as emotionless as the expression he wore, sending ice down Bennett's spine.

"You're a dead man."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually teared up a bit as I wrote this, thinking about the pain I was about to put Sanji through. Damn, I hate myself sometimes...but I'm weak for some Sanji BAMF! But aren't we all? As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	20. The Death Of A Coward

More enemy pirates rushed into the room as Bennett took a step back, slipping on Greg's steadily growing puddle of blood. He tipped back, landing on his ass right next to the body. Something flickered in Sanji's gaze at the sight, his face dropping back into that blank mask a second later.

"Zoro..." The half-naked man was instantly at attention, pressing himself against Sanji's back and wrapping his arms around the blond in a possessive maneuver.

"Keep _them_ out of the way." The male nodded, whispering something in Sanji's ear before sliding away from the chef to swiftly sprint at the confused group of pirates. Bennett opened his mouth to call out a warning, any noise he would have made dying in his throat as the male tore into the mob.

_Literally._

The man, _Zoro_ , shoved a fist into a guys mouth, breaking his jaw with a sickening crunch. The next pirate getting both Zoro's hands clapping over his ears before the dude took a knee to the face. This 'Zoro' guy was crazy strong, in-humanly strong.

_A beast in human skin._

Bennett's gaze was directed away from the livid green-haired monster by the sound of approaching footsteps. He peered up as Sanji leisurely walked toward the downed bastard. Bennett scrambled to his feet, holding up his gun to shakily aim at the chef. His blue eyes showed nothing, not even flickering down to address the gun's existence.

"Not so tough now, are you Bennett?" Sanji's lips quirked up onto an insidious smirk. Bennett made an angry noise as the blond stepped right into his personal space, the barrel of the gun pushing into Sanji's chest. He didn't seem to mind, or just didn't care. Bennett grit his teeth and pulled the trigger, a resounding click echoing around the duo. Bennett's eyes widened in terror as the blond leaned close to his ear, his next words making Bennett's knees lock up.

"Zoro told me to give you some advice...you should've counted your bullets."

Bennett couldn't even blink before a leg flew toward him, the boot cracking across his face. Satisfaction rushing through Sanji as the bastard slammed onto the floor, the gun sliding across the wood. Blood poured from Bennett's nose and mouth, splattering all around him. A pirate who had snuck up behind the blond grabbed Sanji's forearm to yank him back, agony shooting from his injured shoulder.

His vision blurred and his grit his teeth as the limbs were ripped from his body. The chef turned to see Zoro force the pirate that grabbed him to the floor and proceeded to snap the guy's neck with a loud crack. Zoro hopped up as soon as the man was dead and ran at another pirate, Sanji taking a minute to watch the Marimo punch his next victim. The guy stumbled back, Zoro reaching down to grip the sword the man had attached to his hip. The Marimo unsheathed the blade and whipped the thing at the pirate's throat, severing the head cleanly from the neck. Blood sprayed onto Zoro's chest and face, making him look sinister. The chef could've sworn he saw black flicker in his eye when he blinked, but Sanji wasn't one-hundred percent sure.

The broken blade clattered to the ground as the body swayed before, it too, fell. Zoro swivled to the guy trying to creep up from behind him, stabbing the jagged edge of the sword straight into the man's forehead. He let the deceased pirate thump against the floor, turning to lock gazes with Sanji.

Zoro stood in the middle of a massacre, bodies were everywhere; everyone but Sanji and Tyler slaughtered by the green-haired powerhouse. Tyler had stumbled forward and dropped down to cradle Greg's body while he sobbed. Zoro's stare flickered just over the chef's shoulder, his eye gray eye widening in distress. The blur of green was hard to track, but the chef watched as the Marimo expertly kicked up a stray sword and threw it as hard as he could at Sanji; all in a span of mere seconds. The blond ducked, the sound of metal sinking into flesh a moment later echoing through the silent room.

A choked gurgle had Sanji standing up, turning to look at Bennett. His eyes were staring down at the blade buried in his side, hands fluttering around the wound in panic. Zoro stomped past the blond to grip the hilt of the sword, kicking Bennett off the bloody metal. He flew to the ground, his back slamming against the floor, a raspy cry leaving his mouth. The Marimo stepped on his crotch and pointed the tip of the sword at Bennett's chest, his hand was trembling with repressed fury.

"Marimo, wait." Sanji called, stepping up to his side to wrap a hand over Zoro's. The Mershark's anger quelling some as the chef stared down at Bennett's tear and snot covered face, the bastard would find nothing but disgust in those eyes. Sanji took the initiative, shoving the blade down, Zoro lending a helping hand to break past the cowards ribcage. The sword shoving through Bennett's heart and into the wood behind him, pinning his twitching body to the crimson-stained floor.

"Karma's a bitch." Sanji hissed, spitting on the asshole's limp body before dropping his hand from the hilt. The door was kicked open, Luffy and Law bursting in.

It was like a switch was flipped.

His emotions flooded back, along with the previously muted pain. His eyes watered as he shuffled toward Tyler, dropping down next to him to brush the graying hair away from Greg's pale face.

"I'm sorry."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trust me, this hurt me as much as it hurt you. I'm so sad when I write stuff like this, but it will get better. I promise. As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	21. The Story Begins Now

Sanji wiped his tears, pushing himself to his feet only for his vision to go black for a second or two. Tattooed hands caught him before he could nose dive toward the floor. He felt the familiar sting of of the needle in his neck before that cold feeling seemed to slither through his body, coating his bones.

"This will replenish his blood cells and force the bullet out." Law's soothing voice explained as a shiver ripped through the blond. A split second later, agony quivered down Sanji's spine, fire licking over bone and muscle. The chef clenched his teeth as he absolutely _writhed_ on the wooden floor. His skin was hot and itched something fierce, his mind going blank as his limbs twitched of their own violation. He was positive someone had thrown him into an open fire, or a furnace, it was too hot. Or was it too cold? He must have faded out of consciousness for a few seconds because Sanji snapped back into awareness when he heard the faint clink of metal hitting the hard floor. He peeled his watery eyes open and blinked several times to clear his blurry gaze.

"Ow..." Sanji complained, wanting to voice his disapproval even though the pain was already subsiding. He realized he was cradled in Zoro's hold when tan arms tightened around him.

"Don't crush me, Marimo." The blond shifted from Zoro's grasp, the swordsman let him with little resistance. Sanji stood and stretched, avoiding eye contact with Greg's body. He had to keep his emotions in check, he could mourn later. For now, they had to worry about getting off the ship alive and relatively unharmed. The previous bullet wound was just a faint scar now, his knife wound completely healed, not a mark in sight. Sanji's ear felt tingly, but he figured he was fine since in didn't hurt and his balance was almost normal.

"Okay...we need to lea-" An explosion rocked the ship, causing the blond to stumble, Luffy caught him.

"What _now?"_ Sanji grumbled, stepping away from the Strawhat boy to lightly touch Tyler's shoulder. The traumatized male startled from his thoughts, his dull eyes turning to stare tiredly at the chef. Sanji swallowed the lump in his throat and helped him to his feet, turning him away from Greg's cold corpse.

"We need to leave." Sanji repeated, already walking toward the door with Tyler shuffling next to him. Sanji couldn't imagine how Tyler must've felt, he'd grown up on this ship. He constantly told Sanji about how he saw Greg as his father and such. It made the blonde's heart ache, if he had ever lost Zeff...

"Our ride should be here shortly." Law quipped, following the chef out of the room. Salt water splashed at their ankles, Sanji making a face as his rapidly wetting shoes. The blond guided Tyler through the hall with a gentle hand to his back, leading him up the stairs.

Zoro had them pause on the top step, still hidden from view as he insisted he and Luffy go first. The blond didn't argue, choosing to stay put as the swordsman crept out, an oddly silent Luffy right on his heels. Crew members were running about, red covered bodies laid everywhere you looked. Sanji sucked in a breath, trying to calm his raging nerves. Realization hit him so hard his body actually jolted, he turned to a questioning Law and a dazed Tyler with pleading eyes.

"I'll be right back." He assured, backing away as Law's brows scrunched. The medical doctor opened his mouth to protest, but Sanji had already turned to briskly jog away. Law sighed, sticking close to Sanji's companion to keep him from harms way as he watched the blond disappear around a corner.

*

Sanji thundered down the stairs to the cabins, the water higher and splashing against his calves, drenching his jeans further. He scowled but focused on trudging to his room and throwing the door open, rushing in and snatching up his previously-prepared bag. He threw it over his shoulder as explosion went off and the ship rocked, the wood creaking and groaning. It would sink soon, Sanji hoped they were safely off the ship by that point. The water bubbled and rose, soaking his knees. The blond waded out, a blast that had the wood to his left splintering, threw him forward.

Water gushed from the hole and smashed into Sanji's hunched form, pushing him further down the hallway. The blond shoved himself up and sloshed over to the stairway and clambered up onto deck, coughing and wheezing the whole way. An ear-shattering boom ripped through the sky as soon as Sanji had stumbled into the enemy ship's sight. He swiveled to spot a cannonball hurtling toward his general direction; if they didn't get him, it was sure to sink the ship.

The chef ran forward a few steps and jumped into the air, throwing his leg out. He caught the cannonball with the front curve of his shoe, where foot became leg. He used the ball's own momentum to send it back at the enemy ship, landing gracefully back on his feet. The cannonball tore into the pirate ship, causing enemies on deck to go into a panic.

"Cook? What are you doing out in the open!?" Sanji turned at Zoro's irritated voice, the Marimo threw the bloody sword in his grip aside as he stalked toward the blond.

"I see you've been busy." Sanji commented, but the hybrid's upset expression didn't change.

"Don't change the subject." Zoro hissed, his lone pupil contracting into a small slit of black that had a shiver running down the chef's back.

"Alright, I'm sorry. It was important." The Marimo's face softened and he sighed heavily.

"You're dripping wet, what happened?" Zoro questioned, a feral look in his eye. Sanji was about to explain when a burbling sound echoed around the suddenly silent deck.

"What...?" The blond whispered, trotting over to the rail; leaning forward to gawk at the thrashing water a good few meters away. The waves only seemed to grow more violent, the ocean too aggressive for it to be just a shark, or even a frenzy of them. Not to mention there wasn't a fin in sight, Zoro stepped up beside him, clamping a hand on his shoulder to make sure the chef didn't fall overboard.

"Do you know what that is?" He glanced at Zoro with a raised brow, Sanji didn't doubt that he probably did. The smirk that stretched onto the swordsman's chapped lips confirming the blonde's suspicions.

"That's our ride." His head gestured down toward the clashing sea.

"That makes no sense-" Sanji cut himself off and jumped back as a massive lion head burst from the blue depths. Followed by an entire fucking _ship_. A ship had just _exploded_ from beneath the _ocean_. It was slightly smaller than the attacking pirates ship, and Greg's; but no less armed. The ship sure was colorful though; from the healthy green grass that cover the entire deck, to the red and white stripped observation room. It instantly grabbed the blonde's complete attention, he scanned his eyes over the intricate design.

"Holy shit." Sanji breathed, openly gawking at the magnificent vessel. Zoro, Sanji didn't have a better word for it, basically preened.

"Franky calls her the Thousand Sunny." Every word dripped with pride and all the blond could manage was a weak nod. He wanted to meet this 'Franky' person face-to-face and the chef had a feeling he'd be getting his wish soon.

Very soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! As some (or all) of you may know, school is starting up for me (and basically everyone)...so I'm sad to say my updates will be slowing. But on that note, I hope to make my chapters at least a few hundred words longer for y'all. So enjoy this new update and be on the lookout for more! As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	22. Stand off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Adult themes, read at your own risk.

The blond was shaken from his staring as yelling was heard. Sanji turned just in time to see an orange blur whip by near the front if the ship, enemy pirates rushing after the small form. Without hesitation, the chef took off. He tore across the deck, ignoring Zoro's voice as it called his name.

He'd recognize those ginger curls anywhere.

Sanji didn't slow to let the Marimo catch up, but he knew Zoro was following him. He ducked to the right and heard a frustrated growl from behind him as Zoro traced his steps. A cry of pain had Sanji pushing faster. _Faster_. He whipped around a corner and went at the first pirate he saw, which was an asshole with a missing tooth who was kicking Oscar. Sanji slammed a knee into the pirates side, making him tumble to the ground. He was so pissed he didn't even hear the click of a gun.

"Sanji, _Sanji_ _wait!"_ Oscar screamed, holding out a hand as the blond raised his boot to stomp on the pirate scum below him.

It all happened so _fast_.

The chef heard the shot fire as he was harshly shoved aside, sending him sprawling on the ground. He grit his teeth and rolled over to glare at his assailant, the blonde's glower dropping right off his face when he noticed Zoro standing where Sanji once was.

There was a _bullet hole_ in his chest.

Zoro coughed wetly, blood dripping from his lips, sliding down to fall from his chin. Sanji's gut flipped with the urge to vomit as dread curled in his belly. He held his breath, not sure he could breathe even if he _wanted_ to.

"M-Marimo?" The chef whispered, trembling as Zoro swayed on his feet. In an attempt to balance himself, the swordsman moved one leg back, only to slip on his own blood and stumble backward. His lower spine hit the railing, Sanji's mouth dropping open in horror as Zoro's body continued it's backward momentum. His legs coming up off the ground as he flipped over the railing, disappearing from sight before there was a loud splash. The sound had Sanji attempting to scramble to his feet, only to have the butt of a gun smashed against the back of his head.

He blacked out for a few seconds.

His vision went in and out of focus as his thoughts jumbled together, he shook his head against the black dots in the corner of his eyes. Hands were grabbing his arms and rolling him so his back pressed against the deck.

_"...have a little fun..."_

_"...take off....could be a girl..."_

_"..such pretty skin..."_

Everything was muffled and blurry, nothing stopped spinning. He couldn't ground himself, he couldn't focus. He distantly heard Oscar's shrill voice as fingers skimmed over his shirt, pressing on him ever-so-slightly. He listened intently to the kids voice, his mind clearing enough to realize what was happening around him. His eyes shifted to a restrained Oscar, who was struggling like nobody's business. Rough hands slipped under his shirt and his gaze snapped downward to see that the pirate who attacked Oscar earlier was currently _groping_ him. The chef's eyes narrowed as nausea made his stomach clench, Sanji's brain still muddled with the throbbing pain coming from the back of his head.

"I wouldn't try anything, or the brat gets it." Sanji's stiffened and blue orbs flickered over to Oscar. The pirate who shot Zoro had that same gun pressed to the side of the kid's head. Oscar's eyes were wide with fear and welling with tears. The chef clenched his jaw, his body going slack as he turned his head away from the boy. The pirate grinned in victory, his hands moving to fumble with Sanji's belt buckle. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the reality of what was about to happen made him ill.

He was going to be _raped_. Scarring both him _and_ Oscar.

His pants were tugged down a few inches, showing off a light trail of blond curls leading down. Just one more tug and Sanji would be exposed, he shivered in disgust. A thump and a grunt had the pirate's hands pausing, everyone turning their attention to the tan hand that had gripped the rail.

"What the hell?" Another pirate growled, stepping closer to the limb. The matching pair curling around the wood to haul up a torso with a head of neon hair that Sanji knew well.

It was _Zoro_.

He was alive, the pain in his chest lessened as warmth replaced it. It was a nice feeling. The Marimo climbed fully over the railing and leaned heavily against it; the clatter of a bullet had Sanji looking down at Zoro's bare feet, the offending object lying innocently on the wooden deck. Now that the chef looked at the Marimo, he noticed how the bullet hole had already stopped bleeding and was nicely scabbed over.

Sanji was amazed, that bullet _should_ have killed him; but the book _had_ said that Shark Hybrids were hard to kill, Sanji had no idea the extent of the difficulty it would be to kill him though. Zoro groaned lowly in discomfort, his brows drawn together as he straightened his back; standing tall despite the red, angry wound on his massive chest. The swordsman lifted a hand to run through his hair as his eye scanned over the frozen pirates.

"Which one of you shot-" His hand paused mid-trip to his head, his eye locked on Sanji's disheveled state. The chef's hair was in a wild frenzy, his shirt scrunched up to show his nipples, and his pants shoved dangerously low on his hips. The pirate above him still had yet to move his hands away from the blonde's body. Sanji shuddered as Zoro blinked rapidly, the black film sliding over his eye as he fought against his instincts. He must've lost, because his lip twitched into a snarl and his face contorted into the purest form of unadulterated rage. It even made Sanji a tad uneasy, despite the reassurance that he was positive Zoro would _never_ hurt him.

Fate chose this moment to have Luffy jog around a corner, Law and a significantly better-looking Tyler right on his heels. As soon as they took in the situation, everything was at a sudden standstill.

 **"Get. Off. Him."** Zoro's voice was doing that weird bubbly growl again, his tone hard and incredibly murderous. The pirate took the hint and started to move back, Oscar shifted and the pirate smiled. As if just realizing who was actually calling the shots. His hand snapped out to grab onto Sanji's package and the blond slapped a hand over his face in shame. Zoro outright snarled and stalked forward two steps before Oscar squeaked, the muzzle of the gun pressed onto his skin painfully.

Zoro paused.

"Now. Now. Can't we all just... _get along?"_ The pirate cackled and leaned down to lick Sanji's exposed stomach. The Marimo made a stressed noise, the blond sending him a stern glare.

"I'll be taking Blondie here back to my ship, and you're not going to do a thing about it." Sanji grit his teeth, the situation was getting worse. He had to come up with a strategy that would get them to the Sunny alive and mostly intact...a lightbulb went off. He waited as the pirate above him leisurely stood, taking a deep breath. He was going to do something completely stupid and reckless, but it would either work...

Or they'd all die.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy guys! Sorry for the delayed updates! I made this chapter a bit longer as an apology for the wait. Anyways, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	23. Out To Sea

Sanji was harshly yanked to his feet by his arm, his other fumbling to pull up his pants. He had to wait for an opening, his eyes landed on Oscar as the chef situated his shirt back to it's rightful place. He had to be careful about how he did this, it was hard to kill Zoro, but he could still die. What he was about to do was what the book explicitly warned him not to, but he could think of no other way that didn't end with their death.

"Come on beautiful." The pirate teased, making the blonde's fists clench. He nodded stiffly and walked faster in order to catch up with Oscar, Law and Tyler joining him as Luffy hung back with a furious Zoro.

"I need you guys to trust me and run for the Sunny when I say so." Sanji whispered lowly, looking casual despite the inner turmoil he was going through. Law raised a brow and Sanji sent him a pleading glance.

"I need you to get Oscar and Tyler safely aboard that ship Law. _Please_." The medical scientist hesitantly nodded, putting Sanji at ease for a moment.

"Okay...get ready." The blond peeked behind him to see Zoro still had that black film over his eye as Luffy restrained him with a hard grip to his upper arm. How such a small boy could be so strong, Sanji would never know. The chef stopped walking, the guy with the gun bumping into him.

"Hey, what are you doing? Keep moving!" Sanji turned to face him, having to slightly look up at the poor soul who was about to meet his maker.

"Zoro. Kill him." Sanji lifted a hand to point a finger, the pad of the digit bushing against the pirate's baggy shirt. The man opened his mouth and the gun raised up a few inches before the Marimo got his hands on the guy's head and twisted. The pirates neck snapped like a twig, the body dropping to the floor, everything was silent for a moment.

"Go! Run!" The blond yelled at Law, who grabbed Oscar and Tyler, dragging them along behind him in a dead sprint.

"You piece of shit." Sanji turned, receiving a punch to the gut for his efforts. He wheezed before throwing a finger up to that pirate as well, a silent demand. He was dead within seconds and arms were around him, crushing him to Zoro's chest.

"Easy buddy, I'm kinda ruffed up." The chef soothed, the swordsman took a step back and Sanji noticed movement out of the corner of his eye.

"Zoro, look out-" He bodily shoved Zoro, who stumbled back a step or two. He seemed to be determined to stick by Sanji's side like glue. A sharp sting across his cheek had him wincing, the pirate with the knife was killed when Luffy grabbed the back of his head and caved it on a nearby wall.

"That was a dangerous thing you did. He could've killed your friends." Luffy's hat was shading his eyes from view, Sanji felt a twidge of guilt but stomped it down. He took notice of how Luffy kept his distance from the pair, Zoro nuzzling into the crook of Sanji neck with a content sigh.

"I had it under control." The blond assured, Luffy tipped his head back and laughed. A large grin on his face as he gave Sanji a thumbs up.

"Yeah you did! That was super cool!" Luffy clapped his hands together eagerly, shooting past the duo to rush to the ship with a joyful whoop. The chef heard a light scoff from Zoro and looked up into his gray eye, he was already watching Sanji.

"That was a risky move curly." The Marimo leaned in, placing his forehead against Sanji's with a pleased rumble.

"You were the perfect choice. I'll be you sword, your sheild, your pillar. Call out to me and I'll rush to your side, call on my beast and we will do what you require of us. Do you accept me, Sanji Vinsmoke?" Zoro looked confident, cause they both already knew what the answer would be.

"Roronoa Zoro, it would make me very happy to be mated to you. I'll be by your side through thick and thin." Zoro cracked a heart-melting smirk and grabbed Sanji's wrist in a tight but gentle grip, tugging him along to board the Sunny.

"Everyone's gonna love you." Zoro hummed, a slight smile in his lips as he hurried along. Sanji's nerves made butterflies flutter in his stomach.

"And if they don't?" Zoro looked at him as if he'd grown an extra head.

"You're mine. So they will, they'll be interested in getting to know what kind of person I'm mated to. I'm kind of well-known in the hybrid kingdom." The Marimo shrugged, his back suddenly stiff. Sanji's head tilted but he didn't get to ask any questions about what that might mean before he was bombarded by new faces.

"You're right Law, he is pretty!" A tiny reindeer squeaked, Sanji blinked before deciding he's seen weirder and squatted down to the furry creatures height.

"I'm Sanji, it's nice to meet you." The blond held a hand out for the reindeer to take, which he did. The furry kid seemed to know about human greeting customs.

"Chopper, what are you doing _holding_ his hand? He's _Zoro's_ mate." A male with a long nose and dark, curly hair quips. He was using a tall, blue-haired man as a sort-of sheild. Chopper giggled, pulling his hoove away from Sanji's lax grasp.

"It's not holding hands Usopp, it's how humans say hello. You'd know this if you went up top more often." Chopper explained, smiling at the curious Usopp.

"Well you know I have the _I-can't-be-uptop-for-long-periods-of-time_ disease." Usopp countered, making Sanji's brows raise. It was an obvious lie if he'd ever seen one, but no one opposed his claim. He chuckled, drawing everyone's attention.

"My goodness Law, your description really doesn't do him justice." A feminine voice called, Sanji freezing in pure terror. It was a _mermaid_ , he had to remind himself to _stay calm_ and that he was _mated to Zoro_ as he turned.

Just feet from him stood two of the most _beautiful_ _women_ he has ever seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, not a good time to be a ladies man huh? I think we all know what's going to happen. Sorry not sorry. As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	24. A Lot To Learn

Sanji locked his joints, the only thing he could manage to do was stare.

"Uh...Sanji, you have blood coming out of you nose." Luffy tilted his head with a finger up one of his own nostrils, Sanji didn't even have time to be disgusted before Zoro was grabbing his face and turning his head away from the girls. Sanji let his eyes trail over the swordsman's worried face, down past his wide shoulders. The muscles in his thick arms shifting with his movement, it gave Sanji the wild urge to touch.

He slid his blue eyes lower to stare at washboard abs, his whole torso was covered in faint scars. The pants Zoro stole hung low on his hips, showing off an impressive V-line and the teasing peek of a green happy trail. Muscled thighs had Sanji's mouth going dry, his sculpted calves making the chef realize he hadn't noticed exactly _how hot_ the Marimo was as a human. The blonde's knees buckled as blood comically splurted up into the air like a fountain, Sanji's body turning into a boneless heap on the ground. That much sex appeal had to be _illegal_ , lest Sanji either go crazy or jump Zoro's bones.

Maybe both.

"Oh my god! Sanji are you okay! We need a doctor!" Chopper ran around in circles as blood continued to dribble from Sanji's nostrils.

"Chopper, _you are_ the doctor." Usopp quipped, the reindeer stopped his panicked running, face flushing red in embarrassment.

"Oh...right. Zoro help him up and bring him to the infirmary. I gotta look at your wound too." Zoro's face darkened, he eyed Chopper with suspicion.

"You'll look after Sanji first, _yeah?"_ Chopper didn't hesitate to nod, Zoro instantly relaxed and hauled a stupidly-grinning Sanji to his wobbly feet.

*

Sanji blinked, opening his eyes to stare up at an unfamiliar ceiling. The air smelt like disinfectant and chemicals, he must be in an infirmary. Sanji's hand was hot and sweaty, he peered down at it and startled when he saw a sleeping Zoro. The Marimo's fingers were weaved between the blonde's, his expression peaceful. Sanji smiled down at the slumbering idiot, experimentally squeezing Zoro's hand. The swordsman shifted with an illegible mumble, tightening his own grip as he settled back down.

The door clicked open and Sanji looked up, observing silently as Chopper toddled in, balancing a tray between his small hooves. The blond pressed his lips together and fought the urge to smile at how adorable the little reindeer was. Chopper carefully waddled to a nearby table, which was cluttered with books and papers. He cleaned off a small area before placing the platter down, sighing in relief before he turned to the bed. Chopper startled when he noticed Sanji was awake, sitting up and watching him.

"O-Oh! You're awake!" The reindeer's eyes flickered down to Zoro, who was still dead to the world.

"How long did I sleep?" Sanji questioned, shifting so he get off the bed. To do so, he had to pry his hand from Zoro's grasp. Chopper looked like he wanted to say something about the action, but he didn't.

"About seven hours. I should tell you that your friends asked to be dropped off at the next island." Sanji frowned, he should've expected that they'd leave. The only problem was, they'd try to get Sanji to stay with them. He snuck a peek at Zoro, instantly knowing that there was no way he could leave the Marimo. He sighed, plucking up the tray and turning to Chopper with nervous eyes.

"Mind if I eat in the galley?" Chopper's head tilted in confusion, but he nodded. He kept looking at Zoro though, Sanji found it odd that the reindeer was so tense when it came to leaving Zoro by himself. The Mershark could just seek his company if he wanted it. Chopper lead Sanji out onto deck and up some stairs, stopping in front of a door to peer up at the chef.

"I'll go first, wait here." The blond nodded and the reindeer slipped in, closing the door behind him. The wood muffled the sudden explosion of voices from inside the room, Sanji took this moment of free time to actually look at what was on his plate. The meal was spaghetti and meatballs, Sanji's stomach grumbled just from looking at it. The galley was quiet for a moment before the door was pulled open, it was that ginger-haired girl from earlier.

"Sorry about that, you must be _starving_." Sanji's hands clenched around the tray as he forced a smile onto his face.

"No, it's alright." The woman stepped out of the doorway, letting him pass. The table was full of faces he recognized, and people he didn't. Luffy was among them, stuffing his face with plate after plate, each one loaded to the brim with food. He paused when he spotted the blond, swallowing his mouthful to grin at Sanji.

"Hey! You're up! Come sit!" The chef moved forward and took a seat between Usopp and Tyler, Oscar happily humming from his spot beside Tyler.

"Quite a shock you got from those mermaids huh?" Tyler whispered, leaning closer to the blond to avoid the others hearing him.

"Uh... _mermaids_ , yes." His face felt hot as he recalled _why_ he'd splurted blood like a pervert. The blond shoveled a large portion of food into his maw to focus on something _other_ than his embarrassment. Tyler chuckled at the blonde's expense, throwing an arm over his shoulder.

Everyone froze.

Sanji's brows drew together as he observed the hybrids varying reactions. All of them were staring at the arm touching the chef; some were surprised, others confused.

"What?" Tyler questioned, his arm tensing in a defensive way. The other dark-haired female hybrid chuckled, it was the kind of sound that sent chills up your spine.

"Sanji!" The voice was faint, but everyone knew who it belonged to.

"He's up." The woman had an easy smile on her lips, her sapphire eyes twinkling with interest.

"Sanji!" Zoro called, the sound thundering of footsteps making their way up the stairs quickly had Sanji eyes flickering from Tyler's arm to the door.

If he shoved the arm off before Zoro burst in, it would look supisious. Luffy and his...(Pack? Group? Crew?) would probably end up not trusting him and Tyler's feeling would be hurt.

If he did nothing, Zoro would probably have a violent reaction; but Sanji could (and would rather) handle an angry Marimo.

The decision was made for him when the door was shoved open and the swordsman marched in, hurrying to the blond as soon as he saw him.

"You weren't there." Was all he said before his single, gray eye noticed the arm draped over Sanji's shoulders. He frowned, his eye glaring at the limb. He reached out and grabbed Tyler's arm, aggressively throwing it away from the chef's body.

"Zoro..." Sanji warned as Tyler rubbed his elbow with a grimace. The Marimo took a calming breath, locking gazes with an upset Tyler.

"Don't touch him so casually." He growled, nodding to Usopp in gratitude when the curly-haired male moved to a different seat. Sanji continued eating calmly as Zoro flopped down in the chair next to the blond, he didn't immediately dig into the food though. In fact, he didn't touch it at all. Sanji figured the Mershark just wasn't feeling hungry and pushed another mouthful of noodles down his throat. He didn't notice Zoro's side glances as the blond ate on, someone cleared their throat loudly. Sanji looked up at Law, who raised a brow at the chef, tilting his head toward Zoro suggestivly. The chef sent him a confused look that had the medical doctor rolling his eyes.

"We really need to educate you about our mating habits. Zoro-ya wants you to plate his meal."


	25. Misunderstandings

"Oh...okay, but may I ask why?" Sanji grabbed the empty plate that Chopper handed him and filled it up with a heaping quantity of meat, noodles, and sauce.

"It has to do with making a stronger bond. Zoro is a shark hybrid, so they need constant reassurance that their potential mate is still interested. Usually a confession from both parties is enough for most hybrids." Law informed, Tyler and Oscar perking up with curiosity.

"But we did...have a talk about our _feelings_." Sanji wouldn't say _confessed_ , because Zoro sort of did that first. The chef just thought since Zoro was going out on a limb, so should he.

"That's good, it would explain why he was upset that you went somewhere without him." Law nodded to himself, Zoro pouting as he chomped his food to bits.

"I'm right here." The Marimo grumbled, Law only scoffed and continued on with his explanation.

"Just make sure you let him stay close to you until you complete the mating, he is very mentally unstable and is more likely to let his beast slip." Sanji bit his lip, wishing he had a cigarette.

"Wait, what's a beast?" Oscar looked confused and curious. Law smiled warmly at the child, leaning his chin onto the palm of his hand, elbow resting on the table.

"It's the other half of us, which is why we're called Hybrids. For example: I am a killer whale/ human hybrid." Law shrugged and watched Oscar's eyes light up with wonder.

"Cool! Were you born that way?" Law's smile dropped, his eyes still soft but his expression stern.

"It's best if you and Tyler know as little as possible, I'm sure Sanji wouldn't appreciate if you were unintentionally put in danger." Oscar nodded, oddly understanding for just a kid.

"Okay. You guys will take good care of him right?" The boy scanned the table's occupants, his big brown eyes questioning.

"Of course!" Luffy answered, a huge grin swallowing the lower half of his face with his trademark smile. Oscar relaxed, as did Tyler.

"Good." Tyler groused, eyes shifting to Zoro in a clear _'_ _you_ _hurt him, I will find a way to end you'_ sort of look. Zoro scoffed, grabbing the mug filled with a strong-smelling liquid out of Luffy's extended hand.

"Is that... _booze_? You _drink_?" Sanji raised a brow and Zoro paused, cup half-raised.

"Does that upset you?" Zoro asked, Sanji only scoffed with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"No. If you can drink, I can smoke." Chopper made a strangled noise that drew his attention to the small reindeer.

"That's not healthy, cigarettes can cause all sorts of diseases!" Zoro made a face, eyeing his mug of booze with a conflicted expression.

"Let me make this easier, how about I'll only smoke when you drink?" Sanji sighed, he didn't want to be completely cut off. Zoro obviously didn't either, so the chef figured they could just meet in the middle like they usually do. The Marimo nodded enthusiastically, gulping down the liquid before refilling it. Sanji stared at the drink, his expression marred with a frown.

"You don't have any cigarettes, do you?" Tyler guessed, the tensing of the blonde's shoulders was answer enough.

"The next island is five days away." Oscar squeaked, they had both witnessed the horror of a detoxing Sanji.

"I'll be fine." Sanji snarked, shoving the last of his noodles into his mouth and standing.

"Oh god, It's already starting." Oscar stated dramatically, the blonde's eye twitched. He swiveled to stomp a foot at the boy, who flinched and climbed into Tyler's lap to wisely escape the chef's wrath. Sanji immediately backed off with a small twitch of his lips.

"I'm going to take a bath." Zoro abandoned his half-eaten plate to step up to the blonde's side with an eager gray eye.

"I show you where it is." Sanji nodded, letting Zoro walk ahead of him. The Mershark wouldn't allow it though, he snatched Sanji's wrist and tugged him up to walk beside him. The crew watched them leave with curious eyes, Law gracefully pushed another forkful of spaghetti past his lips as the dark-haired female hybrid snickered.

"How do you think he'll react?" She inquired allowed, not really speaking to anyone in particular.

"Good question Robin. We can only wait and see." Law quipped with a smirk, the ginger woman next to him attempting to sniffle her giggles behind her hand. Luffy, Oscar, and Tyler looking very lost.

*

"Thanks Marimo." Sanji turned his back, expecting Zoro to leave the bath house. The door shut as the blond pulled off his shirt, he went to unbutton his jeans as he spun. The chef froze when he noticed Zoro had already stripped out of his blood-splattered pants and was crouched in front of the faucet, fiddling with the knobs.

" _WhAT_ -" He cut himself off with a cough as his pitch sky-rocketed, his face burning as he averted his gaze.

"What are you doing?" Zoro's head tipped back to glance at him, he looked completely as ease.

"Taking a bath." He answered curtly, going back to watching the water fill the massive tub. Sanji felt irritation bubble up, but he stomped it down. He only shook his head with a sigh, pulling his shirt back on.

"Oh, okay. I guess I'll just wait outside till you're done then." Zoro was on his feet before he even finished his sentence.

"What, no. We're taking one together curly." Sanji choked on his own saliva, going into a hacking fit. The Marimo hurriedly pushed to his feet in alarm as the blonde's face shifted to a worrying shade of red.

"Oi, dartbrow. _Breathe_." Sanji glared up at Zoro, but the soothing touch of the Mershark's fingers on his arms did help a bit. He had the blond sit down, refusing to stop touching the chef for more than five seconds.

"I-I'm okay now." Sanji swallowed and grimaced at the slight sting, Zoro nodded and turned off the running water. The room was oddly quiet without any background noise, it was just them. The swordsman tugged Sanji's shirt up and off before the blond realized Zoro was _stripping_ him.

"Wait, hold up!" He sqwaked, slapping Zoro's hands away from the hem of his jeans. The Marimo retreated, looking at the blond in confusion.

"Just...get in the bath. I can do this myself." Zoro hesitated, raising a brow at the chef. Sanji grumbled some choice curse words, the bastard knew he was planning to bolt.

"I won't run away." The blond grouchily promised, his eyes gluing themselves on a wall to his left when Zoro nodded and stood to strut to the tub. He slipped into the warm water and looked at Sanji expectantly, the blond realizing his mistake.

It didn't look like Zoro was going to stop staring anytime soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy did it crack me up to write this, poor Sanji. He just keeps digging himself a deeper hole, he'll get a hold of the mating thing sooner or later. Thanks for reading and as always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	26. A Moment Alone

Sanji picked at the hem of his jeans nervously, his palms sweating from nerves. That single gray eyes seeming to drill into his very soul, it made his stomach do strange things.

"Could you like...turn around?" The blond held his breath, not that he expected Zoro would say no...

The Mershark rolled his eyes at what he probably considered a ridiculous request, but he did swivel to face away from the blond. Within seconds, Sanji had the rest of his clothes thrown off and was jumping into the tub, he had to have broken some sort of record just then. He shifted, sinking deeper into the comfortable warmth of the water.

"Can I look now?" Sanji didn't want to answer, feeling both literally and metaphorically naked.

"Yeah." The blond was proud that he was able to keep his voice even, Zoro grunted and turned back to face the chef.

"Why're you all the way over there?" The Marimo's head tipped to the left in a cute gesture, Sanji raked his brain for some excuse _other_ than the fact he was worried he'd jump Zoro's bones. He just ended up shrugging, Zoro didn't seem to mind his vague response. The amulet Sanji forgot was around Zoro's neck started to glow a soft yellow light, the blond watching in awe as the swordsman's legs began to turn green, molding into each other.

Zoro looked less than interested in his own transformation, but Sanji couldn't find it in himself to tear his eyes away. The Marimo squirmed uncomfortably, sinking down further into the water and leaning forward to reveal a dark green dorsal fin protruding from his back. It was a pine green at the tip and faded out to a tan-green where it connected just between his shoulder blades.

A splash had water droplets landing in Sanji's hair, his eyes snapping over to gawk at the massive green shark tail he knew well. Zoro sighed, his shoulders drooping as he calmly slipped under the water. Sanji's eyes followed the Mershark's movement as he effortlessly glided closer, unexpectedly springing out of the water to situate his upper body over the blonde's unclothed lap.

"O-Oi! Haven't you ever heard of personal space!?" Sanji's voice trembled, his hands akwardly held above his head of golden locks. Zoro ignored the chef's obvious inner turmoil, squirming to get further into Sanji's bubble.

"What's that again?" Zoro snarked, a smug smile on his lips. Sanji scowled at him, the Marimo only chuckled.

"It's where you get the hell off me." The blond quipped, shoving Zoro's shoulder in annoyance. Sanji was stunned when he caught a flash of panic in that gray eye, Zoro's arms snapping out to wrap around the blonde's waist in a tight hold.

"Sorry. _Sorry_." Zoro sounded hysterical, his face hidden against Sanji's abdomen. The blond sighed, leaning his back to rest on the tub's wall.

"We seriously need to have a talk about this mating thing. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do...what I'm _allowed_ to do." Zoro relaxed when he realized Sanji wasn't mad at him, scooting back an inch or so to peer up at the stressed blond.

"You just do whatever's comfortable, I just want you to be _you_." Sanji felt like smashing his head against something solid.

Preferably a concrete wall.

"I _am_ , and I just end up confusing everyone." Zoro huffed, snuggling closer. He didn't really seem to care that Sanji was buck naked, he wasn't bothered by much of anything Sanji did if the blond actually thought about it.

"They can be confused, the only one who should worry about understanding you is _me_." Zoro grumbled, a pleased click coming out of him when Sanji's heart stammered.

"How flattering." Sanji deadpanned, but the Marimo wasn't fooled by the chef's cool exterior.

"Whatever dartbrow." Zoro's eye shone with mirth despite the insult. The Mershark fumbling for a shampoo bottle, handing it to Sanji. The blond popped the lid open and squirted some onto Zoro's head and started massaging the soap onto the Marimo's scalp with careful fingers. Zoro's chest let lose a deep purring sound that vibrated into the blond above him.

"I didn't know you liked baths so much." Sanji teased, his tone light and soothing. Zoro let his eye squint open, sending the blond a smirk.

"Me neither." The chef burst into joyful laughter, gently pushing Zoro's shoulders down so he'd dunk under and wash all the soap out.

"You seem to have a little snip for everything I say." Sanji snorted when Zoro's head bobbed up from the bath, the Marimo raised a brow paired with the shrug of his shoulders.

"I'm just a professional asshole. Get on my level Blondie." Zoro fired back, Sanji blinked. Irritation making a vein pop in the blonde's forehead, he splashed the bastard. Zoro spluttered, making a face as he spit out the soapy water.

"I'm going to kick your ass." Zoro growled, a playful but irked gleam in his eye.

"You have no legs, dipshit." The chef sneered, flicking water at the Marimo's face with his fingers. Zoro propelled himself at the blond, his amulet glowing and his human legs formed just as he slammed into Sanji. The two tumbled and disappeared beneath the disturbed waves to tussle with one another.

*

Luffy wasn't curious, he was just wondering what the two were doing in the bath house _(that's just another way of saying you're curious Luffy...)_. The grunts and thrown comments were loud enough to be heard through the closed door. Plus, if Usopp and Nami were hovering, he could too. Luffy hopped over to the duo, the voices and splashing sounds growing in volume.

"What are they doing?" Luffy asked, getting a fist to the back of the head from Nami and a _shush_ noise from Usopp.

"You..." There was a silent pause as Sanji sucked in a harsh breath, "...fatass fish!" He snarled, yanking on Zoro's earrings. Usopp winced in sympathy even though the swordsman didn't even twitch, Zoro retaliated by grabbing the blonde's bare ankle and tugging upward. Sanji was submerged, his other leg nailing Zoro on the side of the head.

"Fucking curly-cue." Zoro groused, dropping the leg to rub at his temple with a scowl. Sanji flailed upright, pointing a shaking finger at the Mershark.

"You...you... _ugh_! _Shitty Marimo!"_ Zoro's eye darkened and he trudged toward Sanji, the blond immediately taking a quick step back. The swordsman crowded into Sanji's space, pinning the blond up against the side of the tub.

"You wanna try a _different_ stress reliever?" Zoro's voice was a deep rumble, Luffy tilted his head as Nami grinned like a cheshire cat.

"I don't get it-" The ginger's hand clamped over his mouth, but it was too late. Faster than humanly possible, Zoro plucked up the abandoned shampoo bottle to hurl at the three peeping crew members. Luffy pulled Nami out of the way, the plastic container slamming into Usopp's face.

"I'm going to cut you into pieces!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom. Two chapters in one day!? I feel so accomplished! Sorry for the short author's note! As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	27. Experiments

Sanji felt hot all over as he sloshed down into the water with a squeak. Nami and Luffy stood in the opened doorway, Usopp twitching on the ground with a shampoo bottle next to him. Zoro's gaze slid over to the blond, who had sunk down to his chin, a bright blush on his face. Then it clicked, he was _naked_. The Marimo turned to Luffy with a stern expression, Sanji watching in slight jealousy as they had a silent conversation with just eye contact. After a second or two, the Strawhat boy nodded.

"Come on Nami." Luffy looped an arm around her waist, grabbing Usopp's ankle as they walked by. Nami lightly protested but didn't attempt to get out of his hold as Luffy lead the two peepers away. Zoro stepped out of the bath and padded over to the door, shutting it and turning the lock.

"Sorry about them." Zoro grumbled, marching back over to the bathtub, climbing in and settling down next to Sanji, their shoulders softly brushing.

"Do they...do that often?" Sanji mumbled, rising so the water lapped at his collarbone. Zoro sent him an apologetic look as he scratched at the hair on the back of his neck, Sanji figured out it was a tell that the Marimo gave if he was stressed.

"They're just curious about you. Most of them have never seen a hybrid court a human before." Sanji nodded, shifting toward Zoro's warmth. It was like the man was a heat furnace, drawing the blond closer. Sanji dropped his head onto Zoro's shoulder, the Mershark didn't startle or move, but that content rumble started up again. The sound made the chef's eyes feel heavy, he blinked sluggishly a few times.

"Am I doing this right?" It flew out before Sanji's filter could do its job, the blond found he was too comfortable to care though. He felt Zoro's gaze on him, an arm sliding over his back to pull him tighter against the Marimo.

"You're doing fine, I've never been so happy." The Mershark muttered, his voice low and deep. Sanji hummed, lazily curling up against Zoro's side. The chef's eyelids fluttered, he was sinking toward sleep, surrounded by warmth.

A loud knock on the door make him jerk back into awareness.

"Sanji! Law sent me to get you." It was Oscar, Zoro hissed what the blond assumed were curse words in another language as Sanji stood. He stretched his arms and moved out of the tub, eyeing his bloody clothes with disdain and sorrow. Most of the crimson liquid was Greg's blood...

"Stay here, I'll go get you some clothes." Zoro rubbed a hand over Sanji's bare shoulder blades, enticing a shiver from the blond. The chef nodded, taking the towel Zoro handed him and wrapping it around his waist. He appreciated the Marimo's exposed back as he tucked a towel around his waist as well before scooping up their disgusting clothes to dispose of. The swordsman flipped the lock and opened the door, Oscar blinking up at Zoro with wide eyes.

" _Z-Zoro_ _!?_ I-you... _amazing!_ _"_ Sanji raised a brow, the kid probably didn't get a good look at the Marimo during the fight earlier.

"What does Law need Sanji for?" Zoro hitched a brow and Oscar quickly shrugged.

"No clue, he just told me to go get him." The swordsman hummed, looking very untrusting. Sanji knew the suspicion was for Law but didn't understand _why_.

"I think I'll tag along, wait here." Zoro pointed at the ground as he stared at the blond sternly, Sanji rolled his eyes but nodded to appease him. The Marimo sent the chef a soft smile before he spun on his heel, marching away to fetch some clean clothes. Oscar poked his head in after Zoro sauntered off, slipping in when Sanji gave a welcoming wave of his hand.

"Are you two-uh...ya know..." Sanji chuckled and knelt down to Oscar's height.

"It's complicated, but I like him...a _lot_." The chef explained, eyes open and warm. Oscar blushed and scrunched his face.

"He likes you too, right?" Sanji paused, mulling his question over.

"I have no doubts." He ruffled the kids curly hair with an enduring smile.

"I want to something like that...with a girl though!" Oscar squeaked, his face flushing as red as a tomato.

"Yes. Yes. You'll definitely have someone someday." Sanji ruffled the kids curly hair with adoring eyes, a staged cough bringing the duo's attention to the person standing in the doorway.

It was Law.

"Sanji, Oscar-ya. I was waiting." Oscar sheepishly looked at his feet as Sanji waved a hand at dark-haired male dismissively.

"I'm waiting for Zoro to come back with clean clothes." The chef shrugged, standing to his full height. Law seemed to finally notice the blonde's lack of dress, quickly averting his gaze to look anywhere but him.

"Ah, yes. Clothes." Law's face and voice gave nothing away. Sanji felt pride and curiosity rise as he watched the medical doctor's incredible poker face.

"What did you need?" Sanji stepped closer to Law, whose feet were firmly planted in the doorway.

"Well, we are going to be diving underwater in a few days to head to the kingdom, and I told you earlier that I'd give you something to help you breathe." Sanji beamed, hurrying over to the other male in excitement.

"Really!? Show me!" A smile twitched onto the medical scientist's lips as he dug a small case out of his fluffy trench coat. Sanji rocked back on his heels as Law popped open the lid to reveal three murky blue pills.

"Wow...you made these?" Sanji's eyes sparkled with amazement and admiration, Law awkwardly coughed as his ears went pink.

"Yes. I worked on them as soon as you were safely on the ship." The blond nodded in thanks, grabbing Law's hand and moving it closer to his face for a better inspection. The liquid inside was a beautiful deep blue swirled with greens, purples, and silvers.

"They're so pretty, it's like the ocean is in them." Law made a choked noise that sounded suspiciously close to a laugh.

"Oi, Law. I was looking for you." Sanji leaned away from the medical scientist to grin at Zoro, the smile slipping right off his face when he noticed the Mershark's irritable expression.

"Zoro whats-" He yelped as Zoro grabbed his arm and pulled him behind the Marimo, using his own body to sheild Sanji.

"Usopp told me he gave my katana to you. Where are they?" 


	28. Sword Fish

"Katana?" Sanji piped up as Zoro stared at Law with a tense glare.

"Yes. He has three of them, which are stored _safely_ in the infirmary. You're free to go fetch them." The Marimo's fingers twitched but his face remained stony. Sanji tugged at the Mershark's arm, the clean cloth of his long-sleeved shirt being wrinkled in his tight grip.

"Oi, give me some clothes." The blond hissed and Zoro was quick to hand Sanji the fabric clenched between his fingers.

"So Law...are you gonna leave or not?" Sanji tilted his head at Law and Zoro snarled, stepping closer to the dark-haired doctor in a clear warning and demand. Law threw up his hands and backed away from the two.

"I wish to seek your enjoyable company later on this evening Sanji." The Mershark huffed, his gaze unimpressed. The blond blinked in surprise but beamed with joy and excitment at the invitation.

"That'd be nice, I'd like that." Law gave the chef a quick, but no less dazzling, smile before turning on his heel to strut away.

"Since when are the two of you so buddy-buddy?" Zoro glanced at Sanji, the blond placing a slim hand on the side of the swordsman's face. He nuzzled into the chef's touch with a soft rumble, his features smoothing out.

"Silly Marimo, I like _you_. No need to get so jealous." Zoro's eye darkened and he pushed Sanji's hand away with a childish pout.

"I wasn't _jealous_." He quipped, crossing his arms to sneer at the snickering blond.

"Yeah... _sure_." Sanji waved a hand at him, a shit-eating grin on his face.

"I'm not!" The Marimo insisted, chasing after the chef as he stepped back into the bathroom. Zoro grabbed the door and shut it behind them with a click, Sanji dropping his towel and pulling on his oddly comfortable boxers and cargo shorts. The plain white tank top and sea blue hoodie were thrown on next, he ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to tame the unruly golden locks. Zoro smiled as Sanji threw his arms out and spun to give him a full view of the outfit.

"What do ya think? Pretty sweet huh Marimo?" The blond smirked as Zoro snorted.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that curly." Sanji's smile didn't waver as he pushed past the hunk of muscle. The idiot was in dark pants that were tucked into his black boots, a green long-sleeved shirt stretched over his massive chest. The shirt was tight over his frame, showing off rippling muscle.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." The Marimo snottily snipped, making the blonde's eyes snap up to stare at him with a startled expression. It melted into embarrassment, then irritation.

"I would...but I'd rather take one with Law." Sanji knew he hit a nerve as soon as Zoro's jaw clenched.

"You take that back, I'm _way_ better than him." Sanji raised a brow at the Marimo's childish behavior.

"Mmm..." The chef pressed his lips together and shrugged as if not knowing who to pick. Zoro scoffed, looking offended.

"Did I kick your ass too hard earlier? You seem to have some brain damage." The Mershark looked amused but annoyed at the same time, Sanji was determined to start a brawl.

"Seriously? Are you a terrifying warrior or a fussy toddler?" The blond snapped, Zoro's frown deepened and he took a threatening step forward. Sanji was anything but afraid, excited? Yep. Joyful? Fuck yeah. Eager? Sure. But _frightened?_ No.

"How about I show you why I'm ranked second in command." Zoro proposed darkly, a toothy smile twitching his lips up.

"Bring it."

*

A crash and loud yelling had Luffy perking up from his tenth helping of pulled pork. Two figures burst into the galley, it was Sanji and Zoro.

They were fighting yet again.

Sanji lashed out a deadly kick that had Luffy's eyes sparkling with amazement, the blonde's boot making solid contact with the center of the swordsman's chest. Zoro stumbled back and slammed into the table, quickly ducking to the side when a heel swung down.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Don't damage Sunny!" Franky scolded, rushing into the galley after the duo. Luffy shoved another forkful of food into his face as he watched the two fight. It seemed they were evenly matched, but Zoro didn't have his swords so Luffy couldn't be sure.

"Stop....moving!" Sanji hissed whipping a leg back to nail Zoro in the side, arms locked around his ankle and Sanji knew he'd fucked up.

"Shit."

Zoro spun, using their momentum to send Sanji flying toward Luffy. The blond gasped as his spine smashed into the table, his breath leaving him as he flopped down onto the wood. He blinked a couple times, Luffy's chewing face peering down at him, mirth in his brown eyes.

"You done?" The Strawhat boy asked teasingly, Sanji snorted and pushed himself up with his elbows.

"Not quite." Sanji wanted to draw their battle out a bit longer. Zoro was chugging a glass of water as the blond sat up, pushing off the table. The chef tilted his head at the Marimo mockingly and crooked a finger to motion Zoro toward him. The swordsman looked suspicious but placed the cup into the sink and turned to see the chef was gone. Quick movement to his left had him tensing, the bridge of a foot hooked around Zoro's neck, tipping him sideways and crashing onto the wood. The swordsman was at a loss at to what had happened, he was just standing and the next thing he knew he was on the floor with a foot on his throat.

"I win Marimo." Sanji bragged, Zoro raised a brow from where he was comfortably relaxed on the wooden floor. The chef wasn't actually putting any pressure on his neck, so Zoro would use that to his advantage. He chopped the back of the blonde's knee and it buckled from the unexpected assault, the Mershark rolled and pushed up to wrap his arms around Sanji's waist to assist gravity, forcing the chef to the ground. Zoro straddled the blonde's hips as he used one hand to pin both Sanji's wrists above his head, the other curled loosely around the chef's pale throat. Sanji growled at their switched positions as Zoro leaned down to the chef's ear.

"I. Win. Cook." Zoro chuckled, Luffy observing the two from his seat, _still_ eating.

"Okay, okay. _Fine_." Sanji huffed, looking wounded. The Strawhat boy was amazed, to see a human get the jump on Zoro, a _Mershark_ , was _unheard_ of. People couldn't just _do_ what Sanji accomplished, the pure surprise on Zoro's face gave away the fact he hadn't been expecting a direct attack. The boy was looking at the blond in a whole new light and Luffy knew one thing for sure...

He wanted Sanji to stay with them as a part of his royal circle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, we're getting there. Slowly but surely, god I love these slow-burn fanfictions. Not much else to say but ENJOY! As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	29. When I See You Again

When they arrived to the spring island three short days later, Sanji was a nervous wreck. He helped Oscar and Tyler find a place to stay for awhile, also thanking Nami multiple times for loaning the two some money to make a living.

"Are you sure you two will be okay?" Sanji asked, fidgeting with his gold lighter. He wanted a cigarette, _really_ bad. Tyler pulled the blond into a hug, Sanji gripping onto the back of his shirt and squeezing his eyes shut.

"I should be asking _you_ that, you sure you don't wanna come with us?" Sanji nodded with a soft smile, turning to face a sniffling Oscar.

"I don't want you to leave!" He wailed, there was no one at the docks so Sanji wasn't worried about the boy drawing attention to them.

"Hey, it's okay. We'll see each other again, I promise." Sanji pulled the sobbing boy to his chest and held him close, running a hand through his soft curls.

"You mean it? You'll come back?" The blond nodded and Oscar's tears subsided.

"Okay, It's a promise." The boy puffed his chest out bravely, causing pride and loneliness to wash over him. The chef already missed them and he hadn't even _left_ yet. Sanji stood and frowned at Tyler, he looked so torn. An idea popped into Sanji's head and he held up a finger.

"Hold on, I'll be right back." The chef hurried away to the men's quarters and dug through his stuff until he found what he was searching for. With a triumphant smile, Sanji climbed the ladder; jogging back to a hesitant Tyler and Oscar.

"Here. For you guys." Sanji extended the wooden frame toward the two, their eyes went wide when they recognized the scene in the photo. It was the night the crew had gotten smashed, Oscar obviously wasn't allowed to drink so Greg, Tyler, Dr. Raine, and Sanji entertained him with different card games.

They were playing go-fish when the picture was taken.

"How...?" The blond grinned and held a finger up to his lips.

"I'm _magical_." Oscar scoffed but took the picture, staring down at Greg's smiling face; his arm had been drunkenly thrown over Sanji's shoulder, everyone was having such a good time together.

"I miss him." Oscar choked out as Tyler knelt behind him to peer at the photo from over the kids shoulder.

"I do too. I miss all of them." Sanji gave them both one last hug before turning to board the Sunny. Zoro was waiting patiently and placed a supporting hand on Sanji's back as the ship started toward sea. Oscar stood with nervous eyes before unexpectedly thrusting the picture into Tyler's hands and sprinting to the edge of the dock with unshed tears in his youthful eyes.

"Tell me everything when I see you again!" He shouted, fists clenched at his sides and lower lip wobbling. Sanji stepped forward and slammed his hands on the rail, leaning over the wood with a grin so big it hurt his cheeks to maintain.

"I give you my word!" He hollered back and Oscar broke, a beaming smile breaking out onto his face as saltwater poured from his eyes. Tyler waved sadly as he stepped up behind the boy, Sanji made sure to wave back until the ship rumbled. Zoro startled as Law stepped up behind them, handing the blond a blue pill to take. He did, popping the pill dry and waiting to feel some sort of change.

The Sunny started to sink as it sailed on, water splashing up to soak the blond. With one last tremble, they were submerged. Sanji held his breath on instinct, plesantly surprised that he wasn't washed off the deck by the rushing water. He squeezed his eyes shut in slight fear as his lungs burned. What if it didn't work? They were still sinking deeper and deeper...

"Oi, don't hold your breath." Sanji peeked an eye open to see both Zoro and Law where in their hybrid form. Their pants had been torn off and floated away, Sanji watch the fabric hit some sort of barrier before being violently thrown behind the ship by the roaring current. He didn't even realize he had started to breathe until he noticed his chest expanding, he threw a hand up to touch the sides of his neck. There were small slits across his skin, he had _gills_. He peered at Law in confusion and Zoro chuckled.

"No you won't grow a tail like a hybrid." Sanji nodded in slight disappointment and relief, Law smiling knowingly.

"Why don't you try talking?" Sanji scrunched his nose in unease.

"O-okay." The blonde's eyes brightened when he didn't immediately drown.

"Wow...this is _amazing_." Sanji tilted his head up to stare at the glimmering ocean waves above them with wonder.

"Not when you see it every day." Zoro snarked and Sanji scoffed, his good mood not faltering in the least.

"Well this is _my_ first time sailing under _water_ , so...shut up." Sanji waved him off as his eyes shifted over to Law. He still wore his trench coat, the tattoos on his chest showing. His skin went from tan to paper white at his belly button, black blotches lining both sides of his white stripe. He really _did_ look like a killer-whale hybrid.

"Interesting color scheme huh?" Law cocked his head to the side with a twitch of his lips.

"I think you look pretty badass." Sanji assured, taking a testing step and beaming when he felt no difference in gravity between land and the deck he currently stood on.

"Wow. Can I see the others?" Sanji's eyes shined with the hope of seeing everyone in their hybrid form, _especially_ Nami and Robin.

"Well, dinner is in a few minutes so you can see them then." Law had an amused twinkle in his golden eyes as Sanji fangirled over the beauty surrounding him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter!? I'm just as surprised as you guys! Hah! The storyline is going super smoothly and we're getting ever closer to the end of our journey. But don't fret, I have a new Zosan fanfic I'm planning on posting the first two chapters of soon! Tell you about it later! As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	30. Mealtime

Sanji excitedly burst into the galley, his eyes scanning over the table of people. They all looked so.... _majestic_. Heads turned as Sanji skipped in with Law and Zoro on his heels.

"Sanji-kun? Luffy tells me you're a chef..." Sanji turned to her to relpy but froze dead in his tracks.

She was _gorgeous_.

She had the lower body of a clown fish, the orange stripes matching her floating ginger locks. He slapped a hand over his eyes and squatted down, breathing heavily.

But her upper body was _completely_ exposed.

"S-she's _naked_." Sanji mumbled hysterically, his blue eyes confused. It was silent and the rustle of clothes was heard from his left.

"I'm sorry Sanji-kun, we're not used to human customs." A delicate hand touched his shoulder and the blond hesitantly looked up. She was wearing the t-shirt Zoro had on just moments ago.

"It's okay, you just...startled me." Sanji stayed seated until his heart stopped pounding in his ears and his fingers stopped twitching. He was with _Zoro_ , he shouldn't have such a reaction toward others. Especially toward the swordsman's _friends_. The thought sobered him out of his lovesick haze quickly, guilt taking its place.

"I think I'll skip dinner, I'm not feeling hungry." He gently brushed off Nami's touch and turned to go hide in the infirmary.

"I'm such an idiot." He muttered as he clambered down the stairs. Turning to the infirmary and shutting the door behind him, flopping down on the bed there. He was barely there for a few seconds before a knock came, the door clicking open and Zoro's head peeked in.

"There you are. Why'd you run off?" Sanji sighed miserably, feeling like the worst person on the planet.

"Cause I'm horrible." Sanji grumbled, hearing the clatter of a tray being hastily set down before Zoro was in his personal space.

"Oi, why do you say that? Did someone say something?" Zoro's brow was furrowed and he seemed genuinely distressed.

"You're not horrible, you are the most selfless, kind, and caring person I know." This made Sanji feel worse, he was lower than dirt.

"It's not like you've had good experiences with my kind." Sanji stated, exasperated. Zoro made a stressed noise, pulling Sanji closer so he could wrap the blond in a warm hug. The chef's chest clenched, Zoro was just trying to help him feel better the only way he knew how. Sanji lifted his arms to hug the Mershark back, Zoro's tense muscles immediately relaxing.

"You're _everything_ to me, so don't ever think less of yourself. If you have trouble believing in yourself, I'll be right by your side. I'll fight _for_ you, _with_ you." Zoro mumbled, rubbing his cheek against Sanji's, lightening the heavy guilt on the chef's shoulders. Zoro wanted to be a team, he wanted them to be _equals_.

"What the hell did I do to deserve you?" The chef chuckled, Zoro pulled back a bit to softly bump their foreheads together.

"You existed."

*

Sanji decided to go back to the galley after Zoro insisted he show off his cooking skills, reassuring the blond that the girls were covered up.

"You just want a reason to brag." Sanji scoffed, stepping back into the galley where everyone was waiting.

"Uh...hello. Sorry about earlier." Luffy grinned at Sanji's apology, loudly thumping his fists on the table excitedly.

"No problem, we were waiting for you to make some dinner! I want meat!" The Strawhat boy licked his lips, the rest of the crew looking sheepish.

"Zoro wouldn't shut up about how great your food was so..." Nami explained, now wearing a striped turquoise bikini top. A light chuckle had Sanji peering over to Robin, she had on a dark purple tube-top that matched her octopus-hybrid lower body. She smiled at him as she sipped her tea, three open books in her tenticles grasp.

"Yeah, I'll cook for you guys. How does steak stir-fry sound?" Sanji shrugged, getting a happy whoop from a drooling Luffy. Everyone agreed but stayed in their respective seats as Zoro helped Sanji find the ingredients and tools needed to cook. The Marimo handed him a massive sause pan, the blond took it and placed it on the stovetop. His hand paused inches away from the knob when he realized just _where_ he was.

"Uh...will I be able to cook underwater?" It was silent for a moment before Franky burst out laughing.

"I designed everything on the Sunny to work both above _and_ below the ocean." The blue-haired cyborg Mershark stated, pride dripping from his words. Sanji watched his sky blue metal shark tail twitch happily.

"You must be some sort of genius." Sanji praised, curious eyes watching how Franky blushed at the compliment.

"It's no biggie, I'm just... _SUPER!"_ He slammed his arms together with a gigantic smile, the red star on full display. Sanji laughed at Franky's antics, switching on the stove as Luffy and Chopper fawned over how cool the cyborg looked. The chef placed the pan down and grabbed the raw steak and a knife.

"Don't worry, I'll leave some raw for you Marimo." Sanji assured, Zoro grinned in victory from his seat at the table. The blond was surprised that they could sit so comfortably with their tails.

"Zoro I keep telling you that your diet can't consist of _just_ meat." Chopper scolded, his adorable pink tail blending into his brown fur; his fins were a deep blue and fluttered in annoyance. Sanji narrowed his eyes at the Mershark when the reindeer's words processed.

"What? I didn't lie." Zoro shrugged and Sanji grit his teeth as Chopper snorted.

"You didn't tell the truth either, you're eating vegetables even if I have to shove them down your throat." The chef promised darkly, aggressively chopping the steak into quarter-inch cuts before tossing them into the pan. The peppers, mushrooms, and onions went in next to fry with the meat. As promised, he left some of the red, bloody meat out for Franky and Zoro. When the noodles were done, he gave the meal a few finishing touches before bringing it to the table. He plated the raw meat with the cooked noodles and veggies, placing the two plates before Zoro and Franky.

"Eat it." Sanji demanded as Zoro's face scrunched. The blond gracefully taking his seat next to the displeased Marimo.

"Go ahead and dig in."

 


	31. A Place Where I Can Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Kissing. Yep, that's it. Be sure to sheild your virgin eyes.

All hell broke loose, the hybrids tore into the food. Only Robin, Nami, and Brook ate with manners. Sanji's skin still crawled when he looked at the skeleton, he was _literally_ just bone with a fluffy afro. When he'd first seen him in the library he had figured the skeleton was put there by Chopper or Law. So he ignored it's ominous presence and went about skimming the book covers for something to read, he had heard a noise behind him and turned.

Brook was right in his face and had said _hello_ , Sanji screamed so loud that the skeleton had jumped two feet in the air. There was a series of loud thuds before Zoro and Tyler ripped into the library, looking ready to murder. Brook had spoke in a hushed tone, trying to calm the hyperventilating blond down, it was so embarrassing. Zoro refused to leave the chef's side for the rest of the day, Brook had kept his distance ever since.

"Cook-san, are you planning on eating?" Robin's question snapped Sanji out of his thoughts, she was watching him with slightly concerned sapphire blue eyes. The blond pried his gaze off of a laughing Brook to look at Robin sheepishly.

"Yeah, I just got distracted." Zoro watched Sanji poke at his food before taking a bite and chewing thoughtfully. It had turned out perfect, the blond peeked out of the corner of his eye as the swordsman sighed in relief and finally dug into his own meal. He had asked Law about it when he first noticed it was happening, the medical scientist had told him it was most likely because Sanji had missed meals by feeding Zoro; making the Mershark feel responsible for Sanji's lack of nutrition.

So in retaliation for letting his mate get so malnourished, Zoro's beast made it a necessity to see the blond eat at least one bite of his food before the swordsman could even _touch_ his own. Sanji was surprised to say the least, to hear that Zoro's entire body chemistry had changed to revolve around him was a huge weight on Sanji's shoulders.

"What do you guys think?" The blond asked, wanting to steer his thoughts into safer territory.

"It's delicious! Can you cook for us everyday!?" Luffy moved onto his seventh plate with eager eyes, making Sanji grin with pride.

"Sure." Sanji was ecstatic, it had been awhile since the blond had last cooked. He listened to the praise given about his meal while observing the majestic creatures surrounding him. Usopp was next to Chopper and Sanji could see that his tail was a cream color with hazelnut brown splotches on his sides and back, creating a unique pattern. There were so many colors for the chef's eyes to take in, he was floored at how beautiful everyone's tails were.

"Alright guys, at this rate we should be home within the next two days. We'll meet with Ace then bring Sanji to All Blue." Nami pushed her empty plate aside while peering down at her log pose. Sanji paused in surprise, they were going to show him their _home_. _Zoro's_ home. The blond snuck a glance at the Mershark, he was too busy stuffing his face to notice Sanji's stare.

*

Sanji had been walking around when it happened. He was near the mast on deck when a loud sucking sound startled the blond. Luffy whipped around the corner, eyes landing on him within seconds.

"Sanji!" The chef was about to ask what was wrong when he suddenly realized he couldn't breathe. All the water had rapidly left the deck, leaving the ship all together to flow back into the ocean around them. His chest burned and he hunched over, Luffy grabbing his forearms with determined eyes.

"Sorry." Sanji had no idea what the Strawhat boy was apologizing for until Luffy's fingers shoved into Sanji's mouth, stretching impossibly long in order to hit the back of the blonde's throat. His stomach churned as he suffocated in his own body.

"I found him!" Usopp screeched from nearby, Sanji's stomach finally deciding to spill it's contents. He puked up his stir fry, getting disgusting chunks all over Luffy. The boy didn't care, pressing his fingers further. Sanji actually blacked out as he hurled again, this time it was a sea blue liquid that spilled from his lips. The pressure in his chest easing immediately as he sucked in a shuddering breath. Luffy pulling his dirty hand away from the blond, who lifted a hand to poke at the smooth skin of his neck. The gills were gone, leaving Sanji to breathe with his lungs.

"I'm glad I found you in time. Franky built a new machine to filter the water off the ship. Neat huh!?" Sanji just nodded, giving Luffy a thumbs up. Usopp rushed toward them with Zoro and Chopper on his heels, he must've left to go get them.

"Cook, are you alright? We completly forgot about the pill you took." The chef's gaze flickered down to the blue slime puddle and Zoro's eye followed.

"There are two pills left and I don't have the tools to make more at the moment." Law quipped, Sanji blinking up at the doctor. He had just popped up out of seemingly nowhere, the small case had held the pills in his hand. Zoro helped Sanji to his feet, hands brushing over him to make sure he was otherwise unharmed.

"I'm fine, just warn me about things like this first. I could've died." Sanji groused, grimacing at the taste in his mouth. Luffy and the others looked away in guilt, they had to be more careful.

Sanji was only human.

*

Sanji gazed into the room in utter awe, Franky, Zoro, and the others in doorway with hanging jaws.

"This...this is beautiful." Sanji breathed, spinning to take everything in. The walls were painted a sea blue, a large walk in closet, plus the fluffy king-sized bed right across from the door. A small nightstand seated on each side of the massive bed.

"You built this...for us?" Franky rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish grin, looking proud.

"Yup. Zoro gave me the design so all I really had to do was put it together." The blond was gobsmacked, it was perfect. He grinned at both Mersharks, making Zoro flush and grumpily looked away as Franky basked in the attention.

"It's absolutely stunning, thank you." Sanji went to exploring while Zoro herded everyone away and shut the door, leaving the two in privacy. The blond stepped into the closet and raised a brow when he noticed his side had a few outfits hung up.

"Did you buy me clothes?" Sanji leaned out the door as the Marimo flopped down face-first onto their squishy bed.

"Yeah, when we dropped Oscar and Tyler off, Nami and Robin went to get you clothes. I told them your sizes." Zoro turned his head so he was staring at the chef, a content gleam in his gray eye.

"You _what!?_ How did you even-nevermind, I'll sleep better it I don't know."  The blond snorted, closing the closet door and approaching the bed to settle down next to the swordsman.

"Do you like it?" Zoro asked, face passive but his hand reached up to scratch the back of his neck in his signature nervous tell.

"I love it." Sanji chuckled, leaning closer to the Marimo. Zoro stayed perfectly still as the blond pushed up with his elbow to softly press his lips against the Mershark's. It was brief and couldn't really be called a kiss, but something sparked in the chef's chest all the same. Zoro made a rumbling purr as Sanji pulled back, the Marimo's lips following his retreat to push on the chef's with more force. Zoro rolled so Sanji was underneath him, slotting their mouths together; their tongues sliding and rolling. 

Just when Sanji thought he would suffocate from lack of air, Zoro shifted up. Both of them gasping and pink, grins on each of their faces.

"Wouldn't be the worst way to bite the dust." Sanji panted, the Mershark rolled his eyes and leaned down for more. The blond meeting him halfway as a tan hand curled into Sanji's blond locks while the other rested at his hip, Zoro's thumb rubbing against the exposed skin as the chef's shirt rose up.

"You're mine. Say it." Zoro demanded huskily, making Sanji want to kick the idiot. The blond grinned as a lightbulb went off in his head, Sanji pulled Zoro closer. Their clothed chests were pressing together, the chef could feel the Marimo's warmth rolling off him in waves. Sanji nipped at the earrings in Zoro's ear playfully, enticing a violent shiver.

"You. Are. Mine." Sanji whispered, Zoro growled as his body _trembled_.

 _"Yes."_ He groaned lowly, kissing the blond hard. Their teeth clanked together but neither minded, they were too lost in each other to care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you guys are! Super sorry for yet another long wait. I was at a bit of a writers block for awhile with this story, but now I'm back on track! As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	32. Rest and Relaxation

"Zoro, wait. Stop." Sanji tapped the swordsman's shoulder as the two got heated, a bright blush on his cheeks as he stared down at Zoro.

"What is it?" The Marimo sobered out of his lustful haze to level the chef with a concerned eye, crawling up the blond to stare into nervous blue pools.

"I...can we-I'm not exactly ready to uh...do _that_ yet..." Zoro stared at Sanji's shameful expression a moment longer, the blonde's eyes were clenched shut like he was expecting to receive an earful. The Mershark only pecked the chef under both eyes, rubbing his nose under the blonde's chin.

"I understand, you've never been with a man before." Sanji blushed, eyes snapping open to glare at the Marimo. He wasn't _wrong_ , but it didn't make Sanji any less embarrassed about his own inexperience. Zoro moved away from the chef, cold air washing over Sanji at the sudden loss of his personal heat furnace.

"Where are you going?" Sanji asked, a bit fearfully.

Was Zoro disappointed? Was he upset Sanji wouldn't have sex with him? Did he somehow insult the Mershark?

"To take a cold shower. Now stop making that face or I'll change my mind curly." Relief washed over him before heat rushed south at Zoro's blunt statement.

"Shut up and leave already." Sanji grumbled, turning away from the stupid Mershark. Zoro only laughed, grabbing a change of clothes before making his way out of their room and to the bathhouse. The chef grimaced down at his own half-hard member, throwing the blankets aside as he tried to will the boner away. It worked after a minute or two of picturing dead bodies and all things horrible.

Greg's face flashed in his mind's eye, he stiffened up. He didn't want to think about it, about how much it hurt. If only Sanji hadn't been shot. If only he had reacted sooner. If only he had given Zoro his amulet earlier...

Sanji stood, shaking his head as he pulled open his nightstand drawer to grab the book Law had gifted him. He needed a small distraction until Zoro got back, he flipped to the Mershark chapter.

** Hunting **

**Mershark hybrids hunt just like any other hybrid, but they are hardwired and bred to be an even better predator than any other Hybrid known. Sensitive sensors line each side of their tails so they can pick up vibrations from struggling prey, much like their Shark brethren. They normally only kill as much as they will eat, sometimes going days without a proper meal. As I stated earlier with mating, the Mershark will most likely have the urge to hunt and provide for their mate. Choosing to feed their partner first before eating themselves, this can either be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you react. If this situation were to come about...the best course of action is to suggest splitting the meal with them, they will not be able to say no.**

Sanji jumped when there was a soft knock at the door, he marked the page and tucked in back into his drawer before getting up. He pulled the door open and watched with wide eyes as Luffy slumped onto him, his tongue lolling out in with a miserable expression.

"So hungry..." He whined, making Sanji's worry ebb away.

"Okay, okay. Move so I can go whip up a snack." He peered up at the ocean around him as he left the room, it always floored him with its beauty. The water around them was starting to fade into a darker blue color, night was beginning to fall.

"Yosh! Meat! I want meat!" Luffy bellowed, suddenly prancing around with renewed energy.

"Yes. Yes." Sanji padded to the galley, the prince of hybrids drooling after him.

*

He decided to go with sandwiches for snacks, they were easy to assemble and they had all the supplies to make them. He placed a massive tray in front of Luffy and left the other one for the rest of the hybrids. Zoro had yet to arrive so Sanji grabbed a few to put aside, making sure at least half had some sort of vegetable for the Marimo to consume. The galley door opened and Sanji turned, grinning when he saw Law step in. He was staring down at a thick medical book, the chef waved an arm to gain his attention.

"I made sandwiches if you're hungry." Something flickered in his golden eyes, but it was gone as fast as it had come.

"I don't like bread." He snipped, moving past him to grumpily flop down onto a chair. Sanji blinked in surprise at the unexpected hostility, staring at Law in confusion.

"Don't mind him, he gets like this every time we go home." Nami assured, she was in a T-shirt and short-shorts that left very little to his imagination. Sanji grit his teeth and avoided looking at her body, choosing to hold eye-contact like the respectful gentleman he was.

"Why?" Sanji pressed, wanting to know if he could help.

"It's about his crush, Corazon. Law likes him a lot since the guy practically raised him, but where Corazon is...Dolflamingo is bound to be close by." Sanji scrunched his brow, eyes flickering from Nami to Law.

"I don't think I understand." The blond fidgeted, Law ignoring them _and_ the conversation.

"Doffy isn't a good guy. He's always trying to overthrow Ace and drags Corazon along with him. He gets in Law's way constantly, won't let him properly court Corazon." Luffy growled, looking thoroughly angry on the medical scientist's behalf.

"Law...wants to mate with the person who _raised_ him?" Sanji blurted, making a face at his own boldness. It had came out more accusing than he had wanted, but it was unusual. Sanji figured it was like being in a relationship with Greg or Zeff, making him wonder how old this 'Corazon' was.

"They're not related by blood, so it's not like it's frowned upon." Nami shrugged, none of them looked bothered by Law's choice of mate.

It made Sanji realize just _how_ different their culture was from his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Figured I'd sneak some Law x Corazan in there for a dear fan of mine. If you don't support or are opposed to this relationship, please be respectful and refrain from leaving hate comments. I will delete them and block you, I don't tolerate bullying in any form. We all have ships others don't approve of or support. As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	33. At The End Of The Road

"I think I'm going to head to bed." Sanji mumbled, backing away toward the door. There was a thightness in his chest, he felt like an outsider. The hybrids at the table said their goodbyes and wished him a good rest, all except a silent Law. The blond hurried from the galley and to his new room, where Zoro was securing three katana to his waist.

"Hey cook. I usually have first watch so I won't be coming to bed until late." Sanji nodded numbly, a bone-deep exhaustion settling over him.

"I'm just gonna sleep. There's sandwiches in the galley for you." The chef informed, toeing off his shoes and proceeding to face-plant onto the fluffy pillows. Zoro watched the blond do so with a spark of concern in his eye, but didn't press. Instead, he stepped up beside Sanji and leaned down to hover next to the chef's ear.

"Sleep well Cook." Zoro whispered, kissing the back of the blonde's head before quietly leaving. The chef groaned a few seconds after the door shut, shifting to try and find a more comfortable spot. He stilled for a few minutes, his eyes shut and his body relaxed.

But it seemed he couldn't sleep.

Sanji sat up with a huff, digging out his book and opening it to his previously marked page.

**Scent and Instincts**

**Shark** **Hybrids** **are most sensitive when it comes to scent or smells. It is even rumored that they can smell their life-long partner's emotions after the mating is complete. They can smell a drop of blood from miles away much like normal sharks; but if it is their mates blood...** **they** **will have a more violent reaction. Their eyes will be covered by a black film that blocks out their vision and forces them to focus on their other senses.** **Hybrids** **have come to call this dangerous state 'Instinct Mode.'**

Sanji rolled over onto his stomach and scrunched the cloud of a pillow up under his armpits to get more comfortable.

 **When they are in this enhanced state, they will do anything...and I mean** ** _anything,_** **to get to their mate. Whether it be harming** **someone** **or even taking mutipule lives, they** ** _will_** **find a way. Which is why it isn't wise to take a shark hybrid's mate and threaten them with any type of harm: mental, emotional, or physical.**

**If there** **does** **come a time when a mate of any hybrid is captured or kidnapped, I advise you to find the nearest coast immediately. When you do, give yourself a small cut and let it drip into the water. The more blood, the better.**

**The more blood you put in the water the faster** **your** **hybrid will find you. Their reaction to their mates blood will be strong, so if you are willing to test it, go ahead and give yourself a small, harmless cut and see what happens. It may** **surprise** **you** **how protective a shark hybrid can actually be.**

The chef was interested alright, when the writer put it that way it got him all curious; but despite his growing questions, there was _no way_ he'd hurt himself just to purposely distress Zoro. What kind of mate would he be if he did that? Not a very good one in Sanji's book.

A certain thought had a burning urge curling in his gut and sent butterflies fluttering about in his belly. With determined eyes, he searched through the chapters until he found it. He swallowed hard, only finding that his throat was suddenly as dry as a desert.

**The Mating Ritual: Shark addition**

Sanji wiggled, pondering whether he would be willing to scar his imagination. Whether he'd even be able to look into Zoro's gray pool if he read further. His legs muscles bunching and relaxing as he contemplated his choices for a moment or two longer. Sanji shook his head at his own ridiculousness and let his eyes flicker down to the educational words.

**As many know, shark hybrids are not known for mating. But when it does happen, it goes a little differently than the average hybrids mating. There are but three steps to complete this ritual, your souls bonding for this lifetime and any other you may be reborn into.**

Sanji grinned; so far, everything was going smoothly. His eyes shifted down and his body froze, his face losing all it's color.

**Step one: Iniciate Intercourse**

A bubble of hysterical laughter tore from the blonde's chest, he should have expected that. He just didn't think it would have been the _first_ step out of _three_.

**When** **initiating** **the mating ritual, you have to be very clear it is what you truly want. You cannot go back or stop after this point, the hybrids instincts will not allow it.**

The blonde's finger twitched, itching for his newly bought pack of cigarettes. Smoking could wait though, he had to at least finish the chapter first.

**Step two: Say Your Vows**

Sanji blinked, the ritual was starting to sound like some sort-of backwards wedding.

**The vows are simple, the hybrid will ask that you** **declare** **yourself theirs and then you will do the same. This usually happens before the pair gets to penetration.**

The chef went scarlet and resisted the urge to throw the book with all his might, but the final step was next so he silently prayed as he let himself read the last bit.

**Step three: The Bite**

Okay, Sanji found this strange. Mershark's bit their mate? As in, drew _blood?_ The blond could already mentally picture Zoro's sharp teeth piercing into his bare shoulder as they rocked-

He stopped himself right there.

**When in the heat of the moment, the shark hybrid will flip their partner from whatever position they were in onto their stomach. Then they will proceed to sink their teeth into the soft** **flesh** **between neck and shoulder, sealing the soul bond.**

**After this, the hybrid will clean and take** **care of** **their newly bonded. And for a** **certain** **amount of time, they will be extra possessive and** **clingy** **with their mate. Other than this, many do not know what changes...or if anything even changes at all. It** **varies** **from pair to pair.**

**Mating with a shark hybrid will either make or break you, make sure it is the right decision. I cannot stress this enough.**

Sanji flipped to the next page only to see a chapter title about another hybrid species; he slowly shut the book, standing up to wobble out onto deck. His hands fumbling to light a cigarette as he mentally went over the information he had just read.

He exhaled the whisps of smoke and relaxed as the familiar smoke smell wafted up his nostrils. Leaning onto the rail to stare out into the dark sea surrounding the ship. He was surprised his cancer sticks lit in the barrier; but when he asked Franky about it, the cyborg had said something about a pressure sheild that filtered the oxygen out of water to fill the ship with breathable air...or something along those lines. The chef was halfway done with his cigarette when he heard light footsteps approach him from behind; Sanji didn't bother to turn, assuming it was Zoro.

"May I have a pull?" Law's deep voice inquired, soft and apologetic. Sanji swivled to stare at the male with surprised eyes, but extended his cigarette for the medical scientist to take.

"Sure."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you guys think will happen? I'm curious to hear your thoughts. And what of this new (and steamy) information we were given? Hmm? Let me know what you guys think! As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	34. A Shift

Law and Sanji stood side by side as the medical scientist sucked the poison smoke into his lungs and exhaled, handing the cancer stick back to the blond with a quick thanks.

But Law didn't leave.

He breathed deeply each time Sanji pushed the deadly smoke passed his lips, the blond watching him do so with curiosity.

"Cora-san smokes too." He said at last, startling Sanji with the sudden burst of sound.

"Oh?" He pressed, hoping the male would disclose more about Corazon. He didn't disappoint.

"He's also very clumsy and wears weird face paint, but Dolflamingo makes him put it on. I think that's the only reason I hate that he does it..." Law breathed, looking out into the sea waves with lonely and sad eyes. Sanji shifted closer, their shoulders brushing.

"You'll see him soon. I'm kinda excited to meet him myself, will you introduce us?" Sanji remembered how excited Zoro was to show him off and figured he'd give Law a reason to perk up.

"I'd like that, the two of you are so alike...yet so different." Law chuckled, his eyes hopeful.

"I have a feeling something is going to be different this time. I can feel it like the pull of the tide." Law turned to smile at Sanji.

"Do you feel it too?" All the blond could do was nod. He did feel it, a subtle shift in the balance as the Sunny drew ever nearer to the place these hybrids called home.

"I'm going to retire now, my gratitude for lending me your ear." Law pat Sanji on the head before he strut away to the men's quarters to sleep. The chef felt a yawn tear from his chest, he figured he could do with some shut-eye himself. Sanji stubbed out the butt of his cigarette with his shoe, picking up the crumpled cancer stick to properly throw away.

He nudged the room door open with his foot and marched in, feeling way more relaxed than when he left. He tucked the book back into its drawer and laid down, clicking off his beside lamp to sit in darkness. He didn't have to wait long before his eyelids grew heavy, his mind dulling as he slipped away into the world of dreams.

*

Sanji awoke with the strange memory of someone crawling into bed with him, a brick of heat pressed against his back. His sleepy eyes focused when he realized it _hadn't_ been a dream, Zoro was the one snuggled up behind him. One of his scorching arms haphazardly thrown over the blonde's waist, the other tucked under the pillow his head of green hair burrowed into. His internal clock told him it was time to get up, so he tried to. _T_ _ried_ being the key word here.

The blond sat up only to yelp when the arm around him tightened and yanked him back down. Sanji huffed, grabbing the immovable limb in an attempt to shove it off of him.

"Come....on. _Move!"_ The chef grunted, making a strangled noise when he noticed Zoro's amused eye was open and watching him.

"Where are you trying to go?" The Marimo mumbled, his voice a low rumble that made Sanji's body warm.

"Bathroom, now get off me." Zoro sighed like it was the worst thing Sanji has ever demanded he do, but he did it. Sanji jumped out of the warm bed and jogged out onto deck.

"Oi! We have a bathroom in here!" Zoro yelled after him, the light thump of feet of the floor told Sanji the Mershark had gotten up.

"Well...maybe I _tricked_ you." The chef hollered back, trying to be mindful of the people still snoring bellow him. An idea popped into his brilliant head and he grinned, shifting over to the men's quarters hatch when Zoro stepped out of the room. He was the perfect mixture of sleepy and irritated, he wouldn't even expect it.

"Come back to bed, it's still early." Sanji scoffed.

"You're welcome to go to sleep, but I'm staying up... _Marimo_." Sanji snipped, making Zoro's brows furrow.

"No." He scowled, crossing his arms with an adorable pout.

"Well...I guess if you can catch me before I get to the galley I'll-" Sanji's eyes widened when Zoro started moving, seeming to already know what he was going to say.

It wouldn't help him any though.

The blond stomped down on the hatch three times as the swordsman stalked closer, Sanji taking a step back as a clatter was heard inside. The chef prayed it was the hybrid prince, his begging did not go unanswered.

The hatch swung open, a head wearing a Strawhat poked out and immediately spotted Zoro. Sanji stood on the other side of the open hatch with a smirk, quietly backing away. The swordsman snarled and sprinted at the blond, making the chef stumble.

"ZORO! Is Sanji awake yet!? I'm STARVING! You wouldn't let your prince starve would you!?" Luffy's body collided with Zoro's, the idiots arms restraining the Marimo's upper body movement. The Mershark growled down at his prince, knowing it would be impossible to dislodge him. Sanji waved at the aggravated Marimo from the top of the stairs, Zoro's expression darkened and he smiled insidiously.

"If you're that hungry...Sanji's right over there, complain to him." The blond went pale as Luffy's eyes locked on him. If he turned to run, the teen would surely catch him before he got safely into the galley and Zoro would win.

Sanji braced himself instead as Luffy came hurtling toward him at top speeds. The blond spun on his heel and the prince flew past him, a stray arm knocking him off balance. The chef tipped backward on the top step, falling toward the rest of the staircase below.

"SANJI!" Zoro shouted, he sounded _hysterical_. The chef didn't even have the time to look back at him, Sanji twisted to his side so his arm would take the brunt force of the fall.

_"ROOM!"_

Sanji landed on green grass, watching with wide, confused eyes as a barell of cola smashed open on the steps. His stomach rolled and his skin tingled, the blond couldn't hold back the vomit that bubbled up his throat. Zoro and Law rushed into his space, the heads of the rest of the crew poking out of their rooms in worry. Zoro grabbed the blond to keep him from slumping into his own puke puddle.

"Sanji, It's okay. You're okay." Law assured, making sure not to touch the blond with how bad Zoro was shaking.

"...I'm so sorry. Don't leave me." The Mershark whimpered, pulling the chef into his lap as Sanji regained his bearings.

"You have...a devil fruit?" Sanji inquired, staring up at Law with a stunned expression.

"We'll talk about that later, calm him down before he hurts someone." Sanji's brows shot up, his eyes snapping to a trembling, whining Zoro. His face was strained and his eye glossy, like he was mentally somewhere else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun! Ha, just kidding! Sorry for the cliffhanger, It just felt like a good place to stop...as always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	35. Skeletons In The Closet

Zoro had ignored Law's questions, scooping a confused Sanji into his arms and stomping back to their room, all-the-while giving his nakama the death-stare.

So here Sanji was, seated on their bed as the Mershark paced about the room while muttering to himself.

"Marimo..." Sanji called softly, Zoro gave him a side glance before his eye snapped back to his boots.

"Zoro." The blond pressed. The swordsman's steps faltered and he came to an abrupt stop. His tightly coiled back facing the chef as he carefully stood.

"It's okay. It was just an accident." Zoro stiffened before he whirled on the chef, clamping his hands onto the blonde's shoulders to stare Sanji in the eye.

"You could've been hurt. You could have..." He growled at his inability to finish his sentence. Even thinking about it sent his instincts raging as his beast clawed at its cage. His eye flickered black for a second or two before he gained control over himself, pushing Sanji away gently to stare at a nearby wall.

"You know what I'm really worried about?" Zoro's neck cracked with how fast he turned to face the blond.

"How a devil fruit user can survive _underwater_. Explain that to me." Sanji stepped closer to Zoro, reaching a hand out to brush against the swordsman's face. Zoro's body losing most of its tension from the simple action, allowing the chef to turn the Marimo toward him.

"It has something to do with Franky's pressure barrier. The devil fruit users are safe as long as they stay on the ship when in human form. When in hybrid form, the ocean poses no threat to them." Zoro explained tightly, fidgeting like he was itching to move.

"They? How many are on the ship right now?" Zoro's eye flickered to stare at anything but him as he answered.

"Five. Law, Luffy, Chopper, Robin, and Brook." Sanji dropped his hand from Zoro's face and the other was immediately pacing again.

"So the devil fruit doesn't take effect if they're in the sea in their hybrid form?" The blond watched as Zoro nodded, stepping past the blond over and over again until the chef caught the Marimo's arm.

"What happens if they fall into the ocean in their human form?" The blonde's voice was soft and worried, he already dreaded the answer. Zoro made a face but answered regardless.

"They would drown. Unable to move, as if all the strength was ripped out of them by the sea." The ominous reply had chills creeping down the chef's spine.

"We better made sure we help them if they fall then." Sanji pulled Zoro closer, the Mershark moving into the blonde's embrace hesitantly.

"...yeah." The swordsman muttered, pressing his nose into Sanji's hair and inhaling deeply.

"So...you calm down yet?" The chef questioned, tentievly pulling back to look Zoro in the eye.

"Mostly." Zoro grumbled, his arms didn't look like they'd be letting go anytime soon.

"Do you...wanna talk about it?" Zoro stilled, seeming to be in thought for a moment. Nodding, Zoro easily lifted Sanji up and moved them both to the bed, flopping down on his side with Sanji facing him. Zoro made sure to press their bodies tightly together, not letting Sanji move so much as an inch.

"I was young when I lost my parents, I had only my father's amulet to remember them by. I swam around for days, not knowing where I was going. I was so hungry that I didn't realize there was a storm until it was on top of me. I was jerked around like a rag doll by the unforgiving currents, I ended up knocking myself out on some coral. The next thing I know I'm waking up to a girl poking me with a shinai." Zoro paused for a moment, his eye staring off into space as he recalled his past.

"Her name was Kuina, she asked me why I was naked on the beach. I looked down at myself and was astonished to see that I had human legs, the amulet had somehow activated. She ended up sneaking me back to the dojo where she lived with her sensei. They fed me, clothed me, and put a roof over my head. All that they asked in return was that I help out by doing chores." The Mershark made a miserable little whine and Sanji was tempted to tell him to stop, but Zoro took a deep breath and continued.

"When I was doing chores one day, I caught a glimpse of Kuina when she was practicing with her sword. I was mesmerized, so I finished my daily chores and went to beg sensei to teach me they way of the sword. He caved and I found out I was a quick learner, but Kuina was always better...stronger. She bested me every time I challenged her, so I started training with two swords...then three. I was amazing, but she had more potential. She didn't believe in herself though, since she was female, she was constantly told she could not become a great swordsman. She spoke of her dream often, and it soon became mine as well. We-we promised to face each other one day, when we were both great swordsmen." Zoro's voice broke, but he didn't cry. Sanji tensed, knowing he wouldn't like what was coming next.

"I was training on a hilltop when one of my fellow classmates told me the news. It was the day I learned just how fragile humans were. Kuina had taken a nasty fall down a set of stairs and died because of it. She left her world, and her dream behind. I refused to let it end that way; so I pleaded with sensei to give me her katana, Wado." Zoro's hand wrapped around the hilt of the white sword secured to his hip.

"I made a promise to her, and I intend to keep it. I promised her I would become the world's greatest swordsman, so I started by taking her katana and making it my own. I trained for years before leaving the dojo to become a temporary bounty hunter. Switching between land and sea, not feeling like I belonged in either world. I had run into some trouble in the east blue, and was tied to a post at a Marine base because I saved a girl by killing a Marine brats dog. That's where Luffy found me, he didn't even know I was a hybrid like him when he insisted I come out to sea with him. I did though, for some stupid, idiotic, suicidal reason...I _followed_ him." Zoro bumped his forehead against Sanji's with a purr, getting it all out had calmed the Mershark down.

"So...be careful around stairs, I can do that. I'm sorry something like that happened to you at such a young age." The Marimo snorted, brushing a soothing hand through Sanji's blond locks with a happy rumble. The chef was silent for a moment, looking up at Zoro a heartbeat later with guarded eyes.

"Do you wanna know why I smoke?" Zoro's brows scrunched with worry, but he nodded curiously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha! Bet you thought I wouldn't end yet another chapter with yet ANOTHER cliffhanger...But I did! This one was longer than I expected but it's okay, hope you enjoyed! Don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	36. Never Look Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so...I know I changed and tweaked some things about Zoro's past and just know...I'm going to do the same with Sanji's. I apologize in advance for any chronological mistakes, I haven't really researched Sanji's past...so we'll see how this turns out. As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!

Sanji propped himself up on his elbow and peered down at Zoro, he looked attentive and open.

"I blocked out most of my childhood, all I have are memories of being locked in a cell somewhere dark and cold. There was a metal helmet locked onto my head, it was heavy and freezing. I'm pretty sure I had siblings, but they'd only come into the dungeon to beat me. I remember being scared, angry, and alone. It was like that for awhile before my sister stepped in and helped me escape. She told me to run and don't look back, I never did." Sanji closed his eyes, he could still recall the hope and despair he'd felt as he ran from the only home he'd ever known.

"I think I escaped by snuggling aboard one of my father's trading ships. It's all sort of a blur after that, then I was picked up by Zeff. He took care of me and taught me how to cook, but the peace didn't last very long...we were boarded by pirates during a storm and I was thrown overboard. Zeff dived in to save me, dragging my dead weight all the way to a small rock. We only had so much food and the water around us was undrinkable, it didn't take long for the thirst to kick in. The sun was beating down on us all day, the night bringing freezing cold temperatures. When we eventually ran out of food-" Sanji clenched his fists, flopping onto his back as his stomach rolled at the memory.

"The old fart cut off his own leg so I'd be able to eat." Zoro made a strangled sound, his grip on the blond tightening.

"That time was fuzzy too, but we were saved and I stayed with Zeff until I was nineteen. That's when Greg sailed through, offering me a spot on their ship. At first I declined, but in the end I ended up joining their crew. He was kind of like Luffy, determined, stubborn, and too good for this cruel world. He treated me like I was his son, giving me a place where I could feel at home; giving me amazing friends. I owe them both so _much_." Sanji stopped himself, forcing his mind to focus on the present.

"I was starving, literally _starving_ to the point where my body deteriorated. I smoke when I feel nervous, stressed, or...hungry. It helps, I don't understand why, but it does." The blond admitted, biting his lip with the sudden urge to smoke. Zoro was silent for a long moment.

"I feel like I should hunt down and murder all those who have hurt you, but I can't. So I'm going to say this just once more...you don't have to shoulder everything, give me some of your pain. I'll take it, I'd take all of it if it meant you'd never stop smiling. It makes me sick to think that you went through such horrible things. Yet you still have so much life in your eyes, so bright and kind." Zoro spoke softly, rolling to hover over the blond.

"Me, Luffy, Nami, Usopp, Chopper, Robin, Franky, Brook... _we'll_ be your family, your _nakama_. So don't look back to your shitty past, never look back. Face forward _with_ us, we'll start over. Things will be different this time, this I swear." Sanji's eyes burned and he gave Zoro a watery smile, leaning up to press a soft kiss onto the swordsman's mouth. Zoro returned the gentle touch of lips with warmth and support, a hand smoothing over the blonde's back.

"I love you." Zoro muttered when they pulled back from each other, a chuckle bubbling out of the chef.

"I love you too." He whispered back, making Zoro purr with glee. The Mershark running his nose across Sanji's scruffy jaw.

"Mine." Zoro hummed, pressing butterfly kisses on the chef's collar and throat. Sanji hesitated, if he confirmed this, Zoro would initiate the mating ritual and he wouldn't be able to stop if the blond got cold feet. The Marimo must have noticed Sanji's unease because he pulled back with a gentle click of his tongue.

"It's okay..." Zoro breathed, sliding his hands down to give Sanji's slender hips a squeeze.

"I'll wait until your ready." The Marimo assured, resting his head on Sanji's chest. The chef blinked sleepily, letting himself relax into Zoro's protective hold.

He drifted to sleep within minutes.

*

"We're home!"

Sanji jolted awake from his slumber to find he was alone in bed, he sat up with a huge yawn. His eyes widening with excitement when the information processed, he rushed about his room to pull on his best suit and lace up his steel-toed dress shoes.

There were loud and obviously cheerful voices filtering in through the room door, it only made Sanji more eager to go introduce himself. The blond scrambled over the door and threw it open, stepping out into the open. His jaw dropped as he observed all the colorful hybrids just outside the ship, all chattering away.

The blonde's eyes caught sight of Law, he was talking to a huge hybrid with golden hair. His lips were painted a dark red with purple spikes drawn under one of his eyes, Sanji assumed it must be Corazan. He was smiling brightly, his midnight colored tail twitching with joy. He was shirtless and _covered_ in scars, some looked like knife wounds while others looked like something had actually _bit_ him. He was even missing some of his scales, but he looked so warm and compassionate with how he listened closely to what Law was saying.

_"Human!"_

The word rang out and everyone froze, Sanji turned to his left to see a pink-haired mermaid was pointing a trembling finger at him.

"What-" Faster than he could blink, hands were grabbing him and shoving him harshly to the ground. Sanji got a good look at the blond Mershark positioned above him, his mouth set into a sneer. The blond Mershark's hair reminded the chef of a pineapple, the hybrid then proceeded to whip out a sharp knife to push it against Sanji's throat.

"Who are you and how did you sneak aboard?" He demanded, pressing the blade closer to the chef's throat.

"Wait, this is just a misunderstanding. I'm-"

"Sanji? Marco get off him, that's Zoro's mate!" Luffy demanded, making the Marco fellow jerk back in shock. The knife just barely missing an important artery when it was pulled away.

"What? You're joking...a-a _human_ _!?"_ The pink-haired mermaid squeaked, her voice rising as she fluttered her thick eyelashes.

"Yes Perona, he's Zoro's chosen." Law quipped making the mermaid pout childishly. Another blond swam forward, his hair was spiked up. Pointed sunglasses on his face that hid his eyes from view. Luffy, Law, and most of the crew tensed as he approached. Sanji tilted his head, this guy sure looked a lot like Corozan...then it clicked.

"He doesn't _smell_ taken..." The grin the curled onto Dolflamingo's lips was _anything_ but friendly.

"You're right, prove that he's Roronoa's mate!" A stray voice yelled from the crowd, the other hybrids muttering to each other in agreement. Luffy scowled, his eyes hard as he turned to Usopp and Chopper.

"Go find Zoro, tell him it's about Sanji and to hurry." The prince ordered and the two zipped off toward the massive coral castle with impressive speed. The tense situation was making Sanji slightly nervous, the hybrids around him pressing closer. Some looking at him curiously, others with disgust, and most with fear.

"Back down Dolflamingo, I won't tell you a second time." The taller hybrid made an annoyed face at a glaring Luffy. Dolflamingo's bright pink tail thrashing aggressively, but he did as told. Sanji watching as he moved back, staring at his own uneasy face in the reflection of the hybrid's sunglasses.


	37. Home At Last

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As an extra treat for y'all, make sure to comment a certain chapter you may want from Zoro's perspective and I'll take a few suggestions and write them for you guys to read as a bonus chapter.

"Oi, let me through! Sanji!?" Zoro's voice rose above the murmurs of the crowd, the whole mob going silent as Zoro shoved through the group to get to the blond.

"Are you hurt Cook?" The swordsman asked tightly, the chef shook his head and took Zoro's extended hand. The Mershark tugging him to his feet and wrapping a possesive arm around the blonde's waist.

"He's _my_ mate, so you _will_ treat him with respect. Anyone who fucks with Sanji Vinsmoke answers to _me_." Zoro snarled, the crowd taking a step away from the angry Mershark. Luffy stepped up to the Marimo's side, the rest of the crew following suit.

"Anyone who has any ill intent toward Sanji will have to deal with _all_ of us." At this declaration, the mob quickly dispersed. Some still stared at Sanji, but most avoided direct eye-contact. Zoro nodded with a huff, leading Sanji toward the edge of the ship.

"We have to shift to leave the ship but you'll just feel a pressure change." Zoro explained, his shark-tooth amulet glowing. Sanji looked around, the crew had already shifted into their hybrid forms.

Sanji noticed Corazon and Law, the medical scientist turning his head to glance at him. The chef smiled and waved them over, Law scoffed but swam toward him with Corazon on his heel...er, fin. They paused when they reached Sanji, their amulets glowing as they popped onto Sunny's deck.

"Sanji, this is Cora-san." The blond held out his hand and Corazon stared at it for a moment before reaching out to take it. The guy was even more intimidating up close, towering over Sanji. Corazon was, by far, the _biggest_ hybrid he had seen.

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you." Corazon nodded, pulling the chef closer using their joined hands.

"Cora-san..." Law mumbled, eyes tracking Zoro as he happily zipped about. Corazon lifted his free hand and pushed his thumb and middle finger together to snap, a purple-tinted bubble encasing all three of them.

"You have a devil fruit too?" Sanji gasped, a curious grin stretching onto his lips.

"Yes, his is...complex." Law sighed, bumping Corazon's shoulder.

"Let go of him already." Corazon's eyes widened, his hand quickly dropping Sanji's.

"So sorry! It's just, you smell like spice...and cigarettes." Sanji made a face and looked down at himself.

"I didn't know, I'm sorry. I have a smoking habit." The chef apologized, Corazon waved a hand at him while shaking his head.

"I smoke too, I was going to say your brand smells good. Plus, you couldn't get it off you even if you bleached yourself. It's _your_ scent." Sanji's eyebrows arched up and he shot Law a curious look, the dark-haired beauty nodding in agreement with Corazon.

"Wow...that's amazing." The blond breathed, eyes catching Law's wandering gaze. His wide, golden eyes were staring at something over Sanji's shoulder.

"What? What is it!?" The chef squawked, whipping his head around to peer behind himself; sighing in relief when he saw it was only Zoro. The Mershark's brows were furrowed and he wore a deep frown as he peered at the purple barrier.

"Cora-san, I think it's time we let Sanji have an audience with his majesty." Law stated, watching Zoro reactions carefully. Corazon tipped his head to the side in confusion, realization dawning on him when he noticed the uneasy Marimo. He looked to be debating whether or not to mess with the bubble blocking him from the chef. Before the swordsman even had the time to twitch, Corazon snapped his fingers and the strange purple-tinted dome retreated back into his body.

"Now you can't talk, right?" Corazon's eyes widened and he nodded.

"How did you figure it out so quickly?" Law asked, looking curious. Sanji tapped his foot and observed Corazon closely.

"Well, when he snapped the first time I noticed that the bubble seemed to come from his person. This fact was only solidified when you only spoke to me _after_ we were in the bubble. Plus him snapping again to draw it back was a helpful tidbit." The blond shrugged, Zoro looked proud as Corazon's jaw dropped. The massive hybrid started to sign vigorously at a silently awestruck Law.

"What? Do you guys just think all humans are brain dead murderers?" Sanji stopped to think about what he said when all three of their expressions grew dark.

"Don't answer that, it would hurt my species ego." The chef sighed, eyes shifting to watch Corazon's hands make symbols and wave about to communicate to an attentive Law. The doctor handed him a blur pill that he immediately took, watching as Law and Corazon shifted back into their hybrid forms outside the ship's barrier. Now that Sanji was looking, he noticed they were very close together, their tails bumping against each other every-so-often. It was cute to witness how close they were, Law bumped his forehead on Corazon's shoulder just as a blur of pink caught Sanji's attention.

" _Cora-san_..." A voice purred, Dolflamingo's form gliding out of nowhere to latch a hand around Corazon's upper arm. Sanji's eyes grew wide as saucers when the douche actually _pulled_ Corazon _away_ from a glaring Law.

"The _King_ wants to speak with them...you'll have plenty of time to catch up later." How Dolfamingo could make the word 'King' sound like a curse, Sanji wasn't sure. His blue eyes narrowed as the hybrid pulled his brother away, barely allowing the poor guy any time to wave goodbye to them before they were gone.

"I understand now." Sanji quipped, nothing further needing to be said on the subject. Zoro made a huffing noise that Sanji interpreted as an agreement before gently placing a hand on the chef's back to lead him toward the castle.

*

Sanji fidgeted with his hands as he walked through multiple white and gold hallways with tons of guards eyeing him up like some sort of threat as the Strawhat crew marched along.

"Relax, Cook." Zoro muttered, looking worried for the twitching blond.

"How can I when I'm considered a threat?" Sanji snapped back, Zoro's eye widening in shock at the outburst, making guilt wash over the chef. A nearby Mershark guard perked up at Sanji's tone, gracefully swimming toward them.

"Roronoa sir, the human is showing signs of hostility...shall I remove him?" As the guard asked this, he reached out toward the blond. Zoro looked about ready to snap as he whipped his hand out to catch the guards wrist. The hybrid was _inches_ from touching Sanji's arm, Zoro's mouth opened but he was beat to the punch.

"That won't be necessary. Besides, he is a guest. Leave him be." A smooth voice piped up, catching the crew's attention. Luffy's whole face brightened as a gourgous hybrid swam into view. His dark hair cut down to his chin, onyx eyes warm and sincere. His spiked crown was made of white rock, with clear diamonds embedded within the smooth surface; the beautiful gems glimmering a rainbow of colors due to the sunlight that streamed down from the surface. The amulet around his neck was a large pearl that was coated in gold, he also had three gold bracelets on each wrist. The hybrid's tail was like no fish the chef had ever seen, it was a mixture of reds, oranges, yellows, with just a hint of black or grey.

It reminded the blond of a raging inferno.

"Ace!" Luffy bellowed, frantically waving his tail about until he collided with his older brother. He looked very young to be King of an entire species. Ace's gaze flickered from Luffy to Sanji and he smiled welcomingly.

"I apologize for how you've been treated thus far, Usopp and Chopper have informed me of the situation." Sanji blinked stupidly, Ace only glided forward and extended a hand toward the blond.

"It is a massive honor to meet the person who caught the eye of one of my best fighters." The chef took the limb in his own in a numb daze, barely registering the firm shake he got before his hand was released.

"I'm King Portgus D. Ace, and _you_ are?" Sanji struggled to find his voice, his head reeling with worries and doubts.

"Uh...my name, yes." Law snorted in amusement, Nami and Robin giggling quietly. Zoro bumped into his shoulder and the blond involuntarily relaxed, he had nothing to worry about as long as the Marimo was by his side.

"Sanji Vinsmoke. I thank you for allowing me to visit-" Ace cut Sanji off with a chuckle and a shake of his head.

" _Visit?_ No Sanji, this is your home as much as it is Zoro's. Feel free to stay for as long as you please." The blonde's heart skipped a beat in his chest, his eyes wide with surprise.

"T-Thank you, your majesty." The King waved a dismissive hand at him and Sanji's brows furrowed.

"Just Ace is fine. Titles make it seem like I'm more special than everyone else. My people are just as important as I am, even more so in my book. We're all family here." The chef couldn't hope to repress the grin that broke out onto his face, it made Ace pause and just take a moment to stare at the golden ray of sunshine that was Sanji. His sharp onyx eyes shifting to Zoro, who was too entrapped by that joyful smile to notice the King's gaze.

"I see..." Ace murmured, spinning to pump his tail. The action propelling himself forward.

"Stay for a while, rest up. In the meantime I will have Luffy's ship restocked for the journey ahead." Everyone looked to Sanji for confirmation, it made Ace's brows arch up with curiosity.

"Sounds like a plan." The blond nodded and Luffy turned back to his brother with a shit-eating grin.

"Yosh! I'm starving!"

**END...**

_**(For now)** _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! I know you've waited forever for this update so I made the chapter a little longer than normal. I apologize in advance for my sloppy writing. But thanks for sticking with me this entire time, I can't thank my fans and readers enough for giving me wonderful comments and reviews!
> 
> I WILL be writing a sequel (obviously). I'm not sure when the first chapter will be up so going to have to ask you guys to wait...again...but on a happier note, some serious mating stuff is sure to come up in the 2nd book so be prepared.
> 
> As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	38. Bonus Chapter

It all started with one mistake.

Zoro had been dragged along with Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper out on another one of Luffy's _adventures_. The three of them tumbling around in the blue like a bunch of guppies, Zoro scowled at their obnoxious antics. As usual, they had managed to stray relatively far from the kingdom's boarder; as a warrior, he should had commented.

But he didn't.

He should have told them to stay close to him, maybe even drag the three back to the boarder himself. He should have been paying more attention to his surroundings, he should have realized that Usopp had moved too far away from them. He should have felt the shift in the water around them as the ship neared, should have taken notice of the wooden hull cutting through the waves.

It all happened so fast.

There was a panicked shriek from Usopp when his body was encased in a giant net; which immediately started to rise toward the surface, dragging a trapped Usopp with it. Luffy swirled with wide eyes as Chopper cried out in terror, but Zoro was already moving. Instinct kicking in and propelling him forward, he slammed into the net and swiftly drew his white katana. He grit his teeth against the rising emotions, cursing himself for only bringing Wado.

He slashed the thick rope around his comrade, causing Usopp to spill out with a screech. Luffy and Chopper were quick to grab the long-nosed merman. Zoro sighing in relief, twisting when he realized he couldn't move toward the trio. His eye snapped back to see his tail had gotten tangled, his brain waving red flags at the sight of his constricted flesh. If his thrashed, it would only make the uncomfortable pressure worse. If he tried to cut himself free, he runs the risk of severing a fin.

"Zoro!" Luffy shouted, darting forward to grip the rope holding the Mershark hostage. The excited yelling from the men above grew louder the higher he was pulled. The warrior steeled himself, grabbing Luffy's frantic hands and nudging him back a few inches.

"Zoro?" He questioned, eyes wide as Zoro unclipped his belt. Placing Wado against Luffy's chest, willing his prince to understand with his gaze.

"...you sure?" The young merman questioned, hat encasing his face in shadow. Zoro nodded and Luffy wrapped his fingers securely around the katana, leveling the Mershark with determined eyes.

"I'll get everyone together, find you, and break you out." The Prince promised, turning to swim back to a frantic Chopper and Usopp as Zoro broke through the water.

The oxygen mixture that made up the air immediately caused problems, making it harder for the Mershark to breathe. He managed to stamp down his panic and just focused on getting his lungs to work, inhaling and exhaling small breaths. Hybrids had lungs for emergencies like this, but they were smaller than the average humans' unless they used their amulet to make them grow to human proportion. He couldn't risk exposing his kind though, doing something like that would have catastrophic consequences. He'd wait until they threw him somewhere and then just use his pendant to sneak away.

No further confrontation between the two species necessary.

He grunted when hands grabbed the rope to haul him onto deck, their roaring voices making the Mershark uneasy. His beast raged, forcing his lips to twitch into a fierce snarl when the _humans_ crowded around him. All curious and amazed by the creature they had captured, Zoro was less than impressed by their wonder-struck faces. Most were already turning green with greed as they thought of how much he would sell for on the black market, wanting to make some easy money like the narrow-minded humans they were.

"Holy shit! We hit the jackpot!" A male with cruel eyes peered down at him from a safe distance, a good thing too because Zoro would have gouged those monstrous orbs right out of the humans head.

"Not so fast Bennett, we don't even know what it is." Another man moved out of the small gawking crowd, the Bennett guy glowering at the higher-ranked man.

"You blind Tyler? It's obviously a mermaid." Zoro bristled, anger flaring. Humans proved themselves to be self-centered idiots once again, the Mershark slowly pushed himself up with his arms. Earning the mob's attention; they all stared down at him, their thinly veiled less-than-humane intentions written clear on their faces.

"I am _not_ a _mermaid_." Zoro hissed, the animalistic sound lacing his tone with venom. Most of the men jumped back, making his beast puff its chest out in glee. They should fear him, _he_ was the superior predator here.

"It talks!" A crewmate cried from further back, obviously confused and distressed. As he should be, Zoro had studied the human alphabet as a guppie; perfected his speech until you couldn't tell he wasn't one of them. He had learned how to blend in, how to act... _human_ when he walked on two legs. He was trained to fight in both human and hybrid form until he passed out from exhaustion, it was ingrained into his very soul to recognize and read the many emotions humans gave away with their expressions and body language.

"No shit asshat, and if you don't let me go...I'll slaughter everyone on this ship." Zoro grinned darkly, beast snarling in protest when Tyler didn't back down.

"That's _if_ you escape, fishy." He shrugged, Zoro's intact eye twitched as his hands ached for his blades. He could kill everyone off within an hour, but he noticed a young boy with curly ginger locks poking his head around a female in a lab coat. There was a _woman_ and a _child_ aboard this vessel, he would have to make his exit silently. His pride as a warrior wouldn't allow him to slay anyone unarmed or innocent, which left him with his only option.

"I _will_ get out. And when I do, your throat will be the first I slit open." He promised, sneering when Bennett shifted closer. His eyes flickering away from Tyler for a split second, but it was the slight distraction the fucker needed to get the drop on him. Tyler darted forward and Zoro looked up just in time to see the boot coming at his face.

Pain blossomed from his jaw as his sharp teeth clanked together, he felt the scrape of the leather against his chin as his head snapped to the side. His vision blacked out for a few moments, his eyesight coming back in a confusing blur of colors. He blinked sluggishly, softly snarling when hands pulled at the net tangled around his tail. He barely registered being pulled up by his arms until he was being bodily dragged somewhere, the soothing weight of the pendent around his neck missing. He saw a flash of gold in someone's hand as the amulet was taken elsewhere, his beast clawed at its cage in fury. Zoro only had one pressing thought before succumbing to the darkness.

_He would have to wait for Luffy._

*

**Chapter 1: Mermaid Onboard**

He had just finished churning up the tank he was left in when he heard the door open, it had only been a few hours since he was yanked out of the sea. He could feel the tide as the waves lapped against the wood of the ship, informing Zoro of how much time had gone by. The surprisingly light footsteps echoed closer, the Mershark sensing each step as vibrations across the sensitive skin of his tail.

He didn't have to wait long until a finger dipped into the water, followed by an entire hand. The action creating a small ripples that Zoro could easily pinpoint. His senses sharpened and he smoothly moved through the water, drifting closer to his unassuming prey. He moved directly below the person, pumping his tail to throw himself up at a terrifying speed.

It only took mere seconds.

The human didn't know what hit him, Zoro wrapped his arms around the man to violently yank him under the water...into his domain. It surprised Zoro how quickly the human recovered, calmly placing his feet against Zoro's stomach to push himself away. The mershark growled as he was forced back, twisting to vanish into the murky depths. He was better equipped for ambushing anyway, it was one of his many strengths.

The water shifted and Zoro was suddenly aware that the human was making a break for the surface. The mershark wasn't about to just let the human get away, darting up from an angle to slam into the man's side. The human flipped over himself, bubbles gushing from his mouth before he determinedly clenched his jaw.

Not about risking giving him a chance to recover, Zoro shot after the man; wrapping his large hands around his pale throat to squeeze the life out of him, he didn't care if the humans killed him for it.

He was so... _angry_.

Infuriated that the humans managed to get the better of him, that he was trapped. That he let his guard down, he was a warrior god dammit! His head tilted slightly to the left when he noticed the man had gone still, reigning his beast in at the human's odd expression.

His eye narrowed as the man gawked at him in wonder, he didn't seem hostile. Just letting Zoro hurt him without even fighting back, as if he had no intention of retaliating. Since the human was observing him, Zoro repaid the favor; letting his eye skim over his peacefully drifting golden locks that reminded Zoro of the sun. The man's eyes were impossibly blue, as if he scooped up the ocean and filled his two orbs with its soothing colors. The human's swirly eyebrows were even elegant, in their own weird way.

The mershark snapped out of his daze when his hands flexed, causing more bubbles to erupt from the blonde's lips. His body began to spasm, Zoro's gaze darting downward when he noticed the blonde's legs twitch. His sea blue eyes rolled into the back of his head and panic surged through the mershark's body, making him instinctively loosen his hold.

Zoro's sides tingled as a black baton-like object was thrust into the water above him, a low hum emanating from the stick. He hissed, mentally cursing himself for not noticing the arrival of more humans. His gaze followed the cord connecting the baton to a large box, eye widening as a switch was flicked. The water pulsed as agony rattled up Zoro's spine, the high-pitched whine sending him into a thrashing fit. He was strangely tuned in to the blond as the unmoving man was hualed up from the water, the mershark briefly wondering why the blond wasn't affected by the horrible vibrations. As soon as the man was safely on the platform, the baton was plucked out and excruciating pain immediately ceased.

Zoro blinked, trying to regain his bearings. Flexing his sore muscles to make sure everything was still in working order. His sides were almost too sensitive to touch, but other than that he only had a few throbs here and there. The mershark curiously peered up through the water to see the blond staring down-probably at his reflection- his trembling hand raised to brush over his abused throat. Zoro's chest felt tight at the look of horror in those alluring eyes, their gazes briefly met before the blond was scooped up by Tyler and taken away.

*

**Chapter 3: You Chew Before You Swallow**

Zoro was just minding his own business, exploring his temporary prison for weak spots and possible weapons. He heard the door open and perked up, waiting with baited breath to find out who the visitor was.

Two resounding taps echoed through the water, easing Zoro's instinct to defend in milliseconds. He swam up as Sanji made his way onto the platform, sitting down to get comfortable. His usual dress shirt rolled up to his elbows, his shoes already toed off and set aside. His hair was well-groomed and silky smooth, his surprisingly dark stubble neatly trimmed. The blond noticed his arrival and waved him closer, rolling to lay onto his stomach. He slid a covered tray toward the Marimo, an easy smile on his lips. The mershark raised a curious brow, his expression shifting to disbelief when Sanji pulled the the top off with a flourish. On the platter were several prepared slabs of fish.

His beast stilled in the back of his mind, just as shocked as him. Zoro himself knew Sanji probably  didn't understand what he had just offered along with the meal, but his beast paid no mind to this truth as it pushed for control.

"I don't know what you like, so I figured a bit of everything would do." Zoro's breath caught, warmth spreading through the mershark's chest at the words. No one else had dared come near him.

Only Sanji.

Even though he had tried to kill the wonderful blond, Sanji had come back for some insane reason. Even engaging in a conversation, the chef didn't once attempt to dehumanize him into some kind of...abomination.

"This...is for me?" Zoro struggled against his animal instinct, trying in vain to explain to his beast that Sanji had no idea what he was getting into.

"Yeah." Sanji shrugged and Zoro pressed his lips tightly together, contemplating. If he accepted, it would start a courtship. It had to be Sanji, he didn't want anyone else. He liked the chef, he didn't look at Zoro like he was something to be chopped up and shipped off. He must've been unresponsive for too long because Sanji cleared his throat.

"Don't worry, I prepared it." Sanji looked conflicted about his words, as if he thought they had no impact over him. And right then and there, Zoro knew he was totally, and utterly, _screwed_. All the resistance left him, his beast purring with content as the Marimo plucked up a cut of salmon to chew on.

"You prepare meals? That's more of a female thing in my culture." Zoro quipped, lips twitching smugly when Sanji shot him an icy glare. The blond may be human, but he sure had the temperament of a shark hybrid. It made Zoro appreciate that he now had the chance to gain a mate that he could bicker with, maybe even train against.

"Anyone can be a chef, _Marimo_." The blond sneered, throwing Zoro for a loop with the nickname. He bristled even as his beast jumped with joy, sometimes he really hated that soft part of himself...

"Whatever helps you sleep at night Blondie." He fired back, his gaze narrowing. He was immediately put off as Sanji smiled; it was devious, but Zoro found the blond all the more enduring for it. The salty scent of the fish re-focused the mershark's attention back onto the platter, his stomach growling almost silently to urge him to eat.

So he did.

Happily might he add.

*

Zoro eagerly awaited Sanji's return with...breakfast? Or was it lunch? He found he didn't really care as long as the blond came back. His senses sharpened when he heard the door open, muscles coiling as three sets of footsteps waltzed in like they belonged there. Zoro wondered if Sanji brought Tyler and someone else for a visit, quickly dismissing the idea when he studied each footfall. The steps were off, all three either too heavy or to light to be his precious chef.

His lip curled into a snarl when they loudly clambered up the ladder, laughing amongst each other. One kicked the surface of the water, trying to provoke a reaction.

Little did they know they wouldn't be getting one.

"How much do you think it'll go for?" One snickered, the other two following the example like the sheep they were.

"Millions, no! Billions! He seems intelligent...for a fish." Zoro huffed, scowling up at their blurred figures. He secretly hoped one of them would slip and take a tumble into the water. They wouldn't be laughing then.

"Definitely, but Sanji's so fucking protective over it. He keeps arguing with Greg about releasing it back into the wild or some shit. I wish he'd just keep his mouth shut and stay in the kitchen." Now that had Zoro's blood boiling, he clicked his teeth at them. He was so close to just lunging up and grabbing one of them to drag in; so close to just using his nightmarish teeth to rip out a jugular or two. The door was carefully nudged open, so quiet that Zoro almost didn't notice it.

"Alright Marimo-" Sanji's voice cut off, signifying that he had seen the uninvited guests. Zoro tore his eye away from the blond to peer back up at the whispering trio, they hadn't noticed the chef's presence yet.

"Oi, _what_ are you doing?" The blond demanded, all three intruders going, and staying, silent.

"Whatever. Get out before Greg hears about this." Zoro tilted his head at the name, who _was_ Greg anyway? His muscles relaxed of their own accord as the three scurried away like cockroaches, he felt at ease when Sanji was around. Zoro wasn't sure when he started associating the blond with the feeling of calm.

Zoro glided closer to the glass as Sanji watched their departure, the blond frowning after them in distaste. He seemed to startle when he turned with the tray only to see Zoro's intense stare, the Marimo brushed the strangely warm feeling in his chest aside and swam up to the platform. Sanji met him on it and pushed the platter closer when Zoro broke through the surface.

"Sorry about them. What were they doing?" Zoro repressed the urge to chuckle dryly, it wasn't as if Sanji could control their actions.

"Talking about how much I would sell for." Zoro growled, leaving out the bit where they threw shade at the blond. His hackles raising from the memory alone, their taunting voices tearing at the one human that he wanted more than escape. They had insulted Sanji's kindness, Zoro's eye flickered over to the blond. Immediately noticing how the chef's mood had soured, his instincts pushing him to ease whatever plagued Sanji's mind.

"There will be doctors wanting samples coming in here soon." The blond blurted and Zoro's frown deepened, Sanji sighed and flopped onto his back to stare at the lights above.

"I know." Zoro assured, he wasn't an idiot (despite popular belief). He knew there was only so much the blond could do without committing all-out mutiny against his captain. He understood and wasn't upset with him, didn't make his situation suck any less though.

"I'm sorry." Zoro didn't fully understand what Sanji was apologizing for, there was so much to apologize about; and by the look on the blonde's face, he didn't know why he said said sorry either.

The door opened, interrupting Zoro's train of thought. He jerked back and sunk down until only his silver gaze was visible, catching himself before he could subconsciously move farther away from the chef. Sanji was there, he had Zoro's back.

The unease faded away as if it were never there.

"Sanji~" An eerily familiar voice purred making Zoro's brows scrunch. It was that Bennett dude from earlier, the Marimo's eye flashing up to Sanji when the chef's whole body tensed.

Not a friend then.

"The fuck do you want?" The blond spat, firmly glaring despite the fear that seemed to hold his body hostage.

"We're nearing the island." Zoro's ears picked up Sanji's accelerated heartbeat as he yanked his leg out of Bennett's reach. The Marimo moved forward as Sanji crawled back, toward him and away from Bennett's grinning face. Zoro realized with a protective flare that Sanji was afraid of Bennett, the bastard was deliberately scaring the blond. Bennett climbed onto the platform, hovering menacingly over Sanji. The chef's breathing came in short pants as Bennett stepped closer.

Zoro had seen enough.

The mershark's expression contorted into something dark and possessive, slamming his hands onto the wood next to Sanji to drag himself up and forward. His sharp nails cutting into the edge of the platform, his tail thrashing in a clear warning. His lips twitching to bare his sharp teeth at the man threatening Sanji. Zoro made sure to lean slightly to the side, brushing his shoulder against Sanji's in a soothing manner.

It was his turn to protect.

Sanji froze, Zoro figured it was because he was nervous. The chef didn't understand the courting or mating rituals of his culture yet. He didn't know that Zoro wouldn't dare harm a golden hair on his head.

Bennett backed away, taking the hint. He climbed off the platform altogether, sending a rush of pride down the mershark's spine. He had effectively kept Sanji out of harm's way, basking in his dominance until Bennett went and opened his mouth.

"That fish won't be around you all the time...see you on deck _Sanji_." And with the last word, he turned on his heel to cowardly retreat from the room. Zoro was too livid to come up with anything to say to the arrogant asshole. He wanted his amulet so he could hunt the fucker down, he wanted to gut him him open and show him his heart. He was suddenly aware of the blonde's hand resting gently on his warm shoulder, his grateful blue eyes showing concern for Zoro.

"Hey, don't let him get to you." Sanji murmured and Zoro held onto the soft spoken words, humming in agreement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY! Ugh, there was just so much that I wanted to write from Zoro's perspective! Suggestions? Anyone? SO SORRY for the delayed (super fucking slow) update! I'm just struggling with the first chapter of the sequel, it dosen't seem to want to be written...so more waiting I guess. I'll get it down sooner or later...and on that (emotionally conflicting) note...as always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	39. More Bonus Chapters!

**Chapter 4: Blubber**

Zoro was harshly jerked out of his light nap by pain, the familiar crippling agony making his muscles spasm uncomfortably. He peeled his eye open and glared up to see three of those stick things submerged under the waves, electric pulses rushing through the water. The ripples of vibrations bouncing off the glass tank walls covered Zoro in a constant stream of torturous  noise.

Long metal poles with loops at the end plunged into the water, searching for the squirming mershark. As soon as the humans above figured out he was still able to dodge, they turned up the intensity. Zoro writhed, limbs locking up and refusing to cooperate as the shrieking whine scrambled his brain. He hadn't even realized he had floated to the surface until the noise grew muffled, his upper body bobbing above the salty liquid.

The Marimo faintly heard a panicked voice shouting at the humans to _stop,_ recognition sparking as he listened to Sanji's familiar footsteps scramble closer. He blinked sluggishly as the blond climbed onto the platform, he could now make out the pristine white coats the humans wore.

The scientists had arrived.

Zoro's heart thundered in his ears as Sanji stalked up to the nearest man in white, the mershark didn't want the chef to witness this. He didn't want Sanji to do anything that could get him in trouble with his captain. He swallowed to try and hydrate his dry throat, planning on telling the blond to leave. Nothing but a sharp inhale came out though, frustrating the mershark.

"You're hurting him for no reason! Maybe if you didn't treat him like an animal-" Zoro's attention snapped back to the blond as a large scientist shoved Sanji back, making him stumble in order to remain on his feet. A weak, but no less threatening, growl ripped from Zoro chest at the aggressive action. His tail whipping about to stir up the already foggy water around him, he was ignored.

"Why don't you go back to the kitchen like a good little cunt and leave this to the professionals?" Zoro blinked owlishly, disbelief written clear on his face. Had the asshole just said what the mershark think he'd heard? The Marimo's gaze shifted to Sanji, his expression had gone completely blank. Zoro gaped in shock as the blond wound back and swug, his fist nailing the scientist square on the jaw. The guy went down, crashing onto the machine controlling the sticks in the water with a crunch. The vibrations and sound instantly turning off, the mershark flexing his limbs to assess the damage.

Sanji's jaw had dropped out of shock, staring down at his busted hand in confusion. Zoro could already tell one of his fingers was swelling up, he hoped it was just a bruise. The mershark bristled as the scientist gingerly picked himself up off the trashed machine, blood dripping from his lips. Zoro's anxiety squeezed his heart in an unrelenting grip as the scientist pulled a wooden baton off his belt.

"You're going to regret that!" The angry cry had seemed to snap Sanji out of his daze, not fast enough to avoid the blow to the gut via baton though. Zoro's heart faltered as the scientist proceeded to smash Sanji over the head, waving two of his buddies to aid him in holding the stunned blond upright. The scientist grinned wickedly and began to beat the chef senseless, digging his fists into Sanji's stomach and chest. The blond had slumped forward as far as the scientists restraining him would allow, a strangled sound of discomfort making Sanji's face pinch.

Zoro had never felt so useless.

His chest wound tighter and tighter at each blow the chef received, burning the heart-breaking sight into memory. He wouldn't allow himself to forget, he couldn't. With his determination set, he darted from the other side of the tank to the platform within seconds. He had no idea what he was going to do but he _was_ going to stop them. Even if it meant shifting their abuse onto him.

"What the fuck? _Sanji?_ Let him go!" Zoro's hand froze mid-trip to the scientist's ankle, eye darting over to the new arrival. The man's expression was angry, maybe even a little horrified. He must have been a higher rank because the scientists did as told, releasing the unsteady chef. No one seemed to notice Zoro as Sanji tipped forward, right past where the Marimo had braced himself on the platform and head-first into the water. Sinking down and vanishing from sight within seconds, the swordsman could only stare at the diminishing ripples from the blonde's dive in panic.

His fear grew with each second that ticked by without the chef surfacing, his gut screaming that something was _wrong_. Zoro's breath paused as crimson pooled where the blond had disappeared, his body turning to plunge down before his brain had even given the order to do so. He ignored the shouted warning from the man as he propelled himself further down. He followed the revolting smell of Sanji's blood to find him, his form unmoving as he calmly sunk further toward the bottom.

The blonde's hair floated around his pale face, his eyes shut and relaxed. Red wisps of blood curling up from a nasty cut over his eyebrow. Sanji looked unearthly in the dim artificial light, it was like time had frozen for him. Zoro's jaw clenched, racing forward to grab hold of the chef and taking comfort in the pulsing heartbeat underneath his palms. His vision went dark as the black film slid over his eye, forcing him to sharpen his other senses. He struggled against his beast, not wanting to lose full control when Sanji still wasn't safe. The mershark shifted his hold on the blond as he darted up to the surface, easily hualing Sanji up with him. The chef's body immediately expelling the water that had forced itself into his lungs, coughing and spluttering. Zoro took this as a good sign, shivering when Sanji's head of golden hair thumped back to rest against his shoulder.

Zoro couldn't control the stressed noises he made as the blond attempted to regain his bearings, blinking up at him sluggishly. The Marimo kept one of his hands plastered against Sanji's chest, desperate to assure himself that the chef was alive and breathing. Worrying over how unresponsive the chef was, the man on the platform looking about ready to jump in and wrestle him for the blond.

**"Do-n't hurt...him."** Zoro choked out, it was hard to form words half-feral. He subtly inhaled the thick scent of fear the humans in the room gave off, especially the scientists. He was momentarily distracted by the sensation of something splashing onto his arm, the startling iron smell snapping him back to the situation at hand. Sanji was still bleeding, he needed medical attention as soon as possible.

**"Promise m-e...you won-'t hurt him"** The Marimo turned his head in the direction of the crouched man on the platform, asking him directly. He didn't know if he could trust the stranger, but he smelt different from the rest. More concerned than frightened, Zoro took a wild guess that it was for the blond held securely within his arms.

The man silently nodded, giving Zoro the strength to swim closer. He had to focus on loosening each individual finger so he could let go of the blond, the man gently taking Sanji from him. Any false move and Zoro was ready to maim, he shook as the stranger pulled the chef into his lap. Shifting his senses to the scientist who beat Sanji, calculating.

With a snarl, he dunked down to gain momentum. Swirling to lunge up onto the platform, wrapping his hands around the scientist's ankles. Yanking the scientists feet out from under him to drag the man in white down into the churning waves. Letting go as soon as Zoro was sure the scientist wouldn't be able to get back to the surface.

The fucker did try though, kicking his legs about to try and get away. Zoro purred to himself, enjoying the way the man flailed in desperation. He would _ruin_ anyone who dared lay a finger on the chef; _slaughter_ anyone who was stupid enough cross him and hurt Sanji. His rage spiked when the scientist clawed as his dorcil fin, Zoro easily shook him off and circled the pitiful man like prey.

He was done playing.

As soon as the man had begun to drown, Zoro struck. He wanted to be the one to take the bastards life, he wanted to feel the man's miserable existence drain from his body. The mershark gripped each side of the man's face, tilting the scientists head to bare his neck. Zoro wasted no time in ducking down to tear into the man's throat, severing an artery and crunching through bone. Twisting his grip to rip the scientist's head cleanly off his shoulders, blood gushing into the water. The mershark released the head to let it float up toward the surface with the still-twitching corpse.

*

**Chapter 8: Early Arrival**

Zoro happily watched Sanji sleep, cataloging the chef's newest injuries with a pinched brow. The mershark had chosen the blond, the courtship had started and Zoro was ready to recuperate. However, the swordsman dreaded the day that he would have to explain the whole situation. He had no idea how he was going to convince Sanji to come with him when Luffy showed up.

So he used this rare opportunity to think, having Sanji near him assured that he wouldn't get distracted by thinking about where he was or what he was doing. Knowing the blond was peacefully snoozing away only feet from him was a huge stress reliever. So...how would one go about asking a human to leave their former crew and run away into the depths of the ocean with a whole different species?

Zoro groaned, running his hand through his hair for the twentieth time. He would first have to talk to Ace and Luffy, then figure out how to accommodate Sanji's lack of gills, and he still had yet to clarify if the courtship was mutual.

Why was his life so hard?

Zoro softly brushed his fingertips over Sanji's hair, which was wildly sprawled out around his head and face. The blond sighed in his slumber and Zoro felt his nerves melt away, giving him the ability to create rational thoughts that didn't involve kidnapping.

The swordsman's lips thinned, he knew Nami wouldn't let Luffy storm a human ship without any information about said vessel. She would have Luffy send someone to observe the layout, someone who could easily blend in.

But who?

It wouldn't be the prince, he'd blow his own cover just by being himself. Usopp was a coward, Franky and Brook were a solid no for obvious reasons. Nami would drown everyone in debt if she had to do it and Robin was more likely to kill a human then talk to one, let alone a group of them. Chopper was a reindeer in human form thanks to eating a beast-type devil fruit _(Okay...yes I changed it to where our lovely_ _doctor_ _started out a hybrid and ate a devil fruit that turned him into a reindeer. Don't kill me),_ the humans would probably take one look at him and want to sell the poor kid too.

Zoro huffed and propped his chin up onto his folded arms, straightening when the door clicked open and Tyler poked his head in. Upon seeing Sanji laying asleep on the platform, his eyes rolled dramatically and he slipped in. The Marimo watched his approach with a narrowed eye, Tyler slowing to a stop at the bottom of the ladder. He reached out and climbed up, getting about halfway before Zoro's metaphorical hackles rose. He wasn't going to let Tyler interrupt Sanji's nap, the blond was wounded and exhausted.

"No." The mershark grunted, flicking the salty water in his tank at Tyler's face. The man looked at Zoro in confusion, cringing with a wince as the droplets got into his eyes. He held onto the ladder with one hand as he used the other to rub at his irritated orbs.

"Hey! What was that for!?" Tyler demanded, watery eyes glowering at the Marimo.

"Are you blind? He's sleeping." Zoro scoffed, exasperated. As if he thought Tyler was an idiot, the human bristled at the insulting tone.

"Well, it's important so If you'd just- what the fuck's your problem!?" Tyler spluttered as Zoro launched a large handful of water right into his face, all without getting so much as a drop on Sanji.

"You. Leave him alone." Zoro clicked his tongue at Tyler, who sternly glared at the Marimo.

"He's gonna have to get up sooner or later whether you like it or- stop that!" Tyler scowled, eye twitching as Zoro raised an uncaring brow. His clawed hand was curled, armed with more salty liquid. "I can't believe I'm arguing with a fish man..." Tyler grumbled, the swordsman leveling him with an incredulous look.

"A _fish man_ _?_ I'm a..." Zoro paused, digging into his memory to recall what Sanji had categorized him as. "A _mershark_." The Marimo stated proudly, smirking down at Tyler's dull expression.

"Noted. Still gotta wake him up though." He waved a dismissive hand at Zoro, making the mershark grit his teeth.

"I'll break your fingers." Zoro warned, jaw tense. If the guy wanted to get his hands mangled, that was his own damn problem. Tyler snorted, dropping down to back a safe distance away from the tank.

"Really? You do realize that I don't have to be close to wake him, right?" Zoro hissed some choice words, promising to do horrible things to him. Tyler watched the swordsman's tantrum with a barely-there smile, amused to no end.

"I swear if you-" The Marimo was cut off when Tyler cleared his throat, purposely making sure to raise his voice.

"Sanji, call off your shark friend!" A tick-mark formed on Zoro's forehead when Sanji's face scrunched.

"Don't wake him up you piece of shit!" The Marimo snarled, his face contorting with fury as the blond blinked sluggishly.

"I have to, the scientists are here a day early. It's already almost noon." Zoro let his mouth snap shut with a click as Sanji jerked upright in alarm, wide awake within milliseconds. Zoro's hand shot out to gently rest on the chef's shoulder before he could scramble away, hoping to reassure the blond that everything was alright. Sanji's posture relaxed and his head tilted when he noticed Tyler standing a good distance away from the tank, the bastard was lucky.

He wouldn't let me up." Tyler gestured toward Zoro, who snapped his teeth with the worst growl in his arsenal in response. The mershark found himself immensely unnerved by Tyler's unfazed expression despite the obvious threat to his person. Zoro noticed Sanji shiver at his hissing snarl, he had to agree it _was_ a strangely horrifying sound. He just hoped the chef wasn't too disturbed.

"The scientists are  _here? Now?"_  Sanji panicked, eyes wide and disbelieving. Zoro lightly scoffed, the bastards just couldn't wait to carve him up could they?

"Yeah, Greg told me to give you a heads-up...but you weren't in your room." Zoro's eye flickered to Sanji, noticing how his ears had turned pink. Tyler didn't say anything more of the topic, he didn't look accusing either; so the swordsman brushed the comment off.

 

"Okay, just stall for five more minutes. I need to change into clean clothes." Sanji scrambled to his feet and jumped off the platform before Zoro could ask any questions. Tyler nodded, a grin stretching out onto his face that made the Marimo want to punch him. Zoro's lips turned down into a pout, unhappily watching the two leave the room together.

 

*

 

Zoro stayed right where Sanji left him, burning a hole into the door with his stare as he waited for the scientists. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't nervous, the swordsman had never really been good at complying. He was a fighter, not some sort of test subject to poke and prod at. 

 

His attention snapped back to the door as it opened, Zoro's gaze tunneling in on Sanji as he stepped in. He distantly registered the scientists following the chef; his stomach churned, he didn't want a repeat of last time.

 

"Took you long enough curly." The mershark let his gaze drift over the new arrivals, eye going as wide as a dinner plate when he saw a familiar face.

 

Trafalgar Law.

 

Zoro relaxed his expression when he noticed Sanji studying him in a mixture of curiosity and confusion. The mershark hadn't even taken Law into consideration, it was the perfect cover. His grayish blue gaze was as dull as ever, showing no hint of emotion. As expected of a hybrid in enemy territory, show no weakness.

 

"We'll start with the easy stuff, simple muscle and vision checks." Law informed, more for Sanji's benefit then Zoro's. The mershark assumed that ment that the blond would be present for the duration of Law's 'check up.' The hybrid was quick to grab the necessary supplies and swiftly climb onto the platform. Zoro glided up to him, taking note of Law's disapproving frown as he proceeded to gently grab the mershark's arm to examine.

 

"Why do you insist on getting yourself into these situations?" He sighed, earning a scoff from the Marimo.

 

"Just doing what I was trained to, would you rather Luffy were here instead of me?" Law visibly flinched at that, heatedly glowering down at Zoro. His hands were still gentle with the swordsman even as his grayish blue gaze burned a hole into the mershark's forehead. 

 

"I wouldn't want _either_ of you here, but I can see your reasoning." Law placed Zoro's arm back into the water and gestured for the other. The Marimo leaned to sneak a peek at Sanji, breathing out in relief when he saw no one was bothering the chef.

 

"I didn't really expect you to show up, thought you were busy with an undercover mission?" Zoro raised a questioning brow, Law allowing a small smile to grace his usually tense features.

 

"I got home and the palace was in a panic, Luffy asked for my help. So here I am." Law shrugged, putting Zoro's other uninjured arm down with a slightly confused expression.

 

"What happened to the actual group of scientists?" Zoro asked as Law pushed and pressed on the Marimo's neck and collar, the medical scientist's gaze flashed darkly.

 

"Their ship had unfortunately taken on some severe water damage, none aboard survived." Zoro hummed, pleased with the fact that the rest of the bastards from earlier had been delt with.

It was a shame he couldn't be there to watch though...

"I brought some of my healing elixir, but it seems you don't need it." Zoro's gaze immediately snapped over to Sanji, he was in bad shape. Law followed his gaze with cynical eyes, curious and wary.

"Who is he to you?" The hybrid inquired, Zoro blinking up at him in surprise. He barely even had to think about the answer.

"He's my chosen." He blurted, Law raising a brow. His begrudgingly astonished gaze sliding over the blonde's lithe form in consideration.

"Alright then, I'll heal him." The Marimo openly gaped at Law, it was rare that he did any favors for humans. The swordsman watched in utter shock as Law went about preparing a syringe of the medicine. Zoro couldn't help but glance over at Sanji, nervous.

"Law, I don't think that-"

"It will also give us an opportunity to talk, I assume he is not aware of our customs?" Zoro's mouth snapped shut with a click, proving Law correct. He smirked and moved the needle into sight, making sure Sanji would spot it.

Zoro internally cringed as the blond waltzed over as predicted, his brows creased in concern. A sense of dread washed over him when Sanji grasped the first rung of the ladder, hauling himself up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya guys! Just wanted to let you know that I will be posting the first chapter of the sequel Saturday, 19th. The title is 'Pull of the Tide,'also, be sure to stay on the lookout for one more bonus chapter! As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


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